


Falling's not the problem

by curiosa



Category: Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Adventure tri.
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drama & Romance, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-24 00:35:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 31,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7486332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curiosa/pseuds/curiosa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mimi Tachikawa isn't quite sure what's happened. She liked Taichi and then she maybe loved him. She admitted her feelings and then she lost him for good. Flash forward ten years, her best friends are getting married and Taichi is brought back in to her life again. Maybe this is her second chance at happiness? Maybe this time she can make it work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling's not the problem

The night air's just beginning to cool, the slight breeze tickling the sweaty, damp strands of her hair and lifting them off of her forehead to dance. The metal railings they're parked up against are growing warm behind her back, Taichi's arm pressed tight against hers, hot and like a brand against her skin, marking her. Her friend is always running hot like an oven, she'd be grateful if she wasn't so hot and dizzy herself. Not that she can bring herself to move away from him. That'd require effort and Mimi definitely isn't up for effort in this moment. The wine and the various shots have seen to that one.

Taichi sighs, tucking her head beneath his chin, his warm breath smelling of the beer he's been drinking. Mimi allows herself to fall into him. He's going to go on one of his drunken tirades, she can sense it. “So Hikari's dating Koushiro.”

“Uh huh.” 

“Sora and Yamato are engaged.” 

“They sure are.” They've just spent the last several hours together celebrating that point after all. Mimi will have the hangover of all hangovers tomorrow to prove it.

“And I'm here. Stagnant.”

Mimi makes a sound between disbelief and sympathy, or at least she hopes that's what it sounds like, patting his thigh lightly to show her support.

“What about, uh...” Mimi's mind goes blank. “You know what's her face?”

Taichi turns to look at her, one eyebrow raised. “We both know that's going nowhere. Now things in the bedroom department...” Mimi wrinkles her nose at him. “What? I'm just saying there aren't any complaints on that end from either party.”

She strikes out to hit him and sighs and Taichi moves to catch her hand, curling his own around hers and moving so that they're face to face, so that she can count the freckles lining his nose, caught out in the sun from earlier. “Make a promise to me.” he says, suddenly serious, “If we're still young, free and single in ten years time, you'll marry me.”

“Wait, what?” It's the alcohol talking, Mimi's sure of it, but Taichi is grinning at her and Mimi can't help but grin back at him. Infectious, that's the word. Like he's running through her bloodstream.

“Yep. Here's your proposal. Mimi Tachikawa, will you do me the honour of becoming my, if-we're-still-sad-and-lonely-in-ten-years-time wife?”

“Mmmm.” Mimi makes a show of contemplating the decision. “I guess it's not much of a proposal. You're not even down on one knee for a start.”

Taichi huffs at her, dropping her hand as if she's not taking it seriously, and Mimi feels laughter bubbling up her throat, light headed. “Can I think about it?”

He moves to hold both of her hands in his own. “Nope. One time deal, here and only. You miss the boat, Mimi Tachikawa, and some other lucky girl will snap this specimen of a man up.”

Her head feels dizzy, her heart stuck in her throat. “Well then how can I possibly say no?”

 

-

 

It's getting on for two by the time Mimi finally gets a chance to sit down, a lukewarm cup of coffee in her hand and her phone at her side. She's been running late all morning and the cream envelope had been lying on the floor as she left her apartment. She'd stuffed it into her bag, fingers gripping it just a little bit too tightly, a thick bubble of tension rolling around her stomach as she tried her best to forget what she already knew it to be.

The official invitation.

Not that she could forget with Miyako messaging her every five seconds with emojis of flowers and hearts, or her sorry attempts at texting out the wedding march. You'd think the girl herself was getting married, not her best friend. Mimi had had to turn the volume off on her phone just to stop the annoying dinging every other second.

Finally being afforded the luxury of grabbing a second for herself, Mimi pulled the envelope out of her bag and ran her hand over its smooth cream surface, flicking her finger underneath the seal and prying it open. The invitation itself was beautifully minimal and clean, a cream background filled at each corner with spreading chrysanthemum prints coloured in lilac and soft pinks. The artfully curled words: Together with their families, Yagami Hikari and Izumi Koushiro, request the honour of your presence in their marriage.

Mimi folds over the invite, fingers only slightly trembling, the date, just a little over a month from now, looming large and daunting, or at least at the prospect of who she might see once again.

Her phone dings, two messages, one from Michael asking what time she thinks she'll be home, he's thinking of cooking something for dinner, and the other from Himeko, her boss, reminding her about the two pm delivery. She gulps down the rest of her coffee, sticking her tongue out at the definitely cool and certainly unpleasant taste. That delivery isn't going to see to itself.

 

-

 

“What was it this time?” Michael asks as she walks through the door. She can smell dinner, or the cooling remnants of it at least as she's now an hour and a half later than she wanted to be. Mimi shrugs off her coat and then bends down to unzip her boots. Her feet are killing her. The fact that she hardly got to sit down and chose today of all days to wear her heels. “Well?” Michael asks. He sounds irritated but he's not even looking in her direction, flicking through the tv channels for some form of entertainment that clearly isn't going to be Mimi's conversation.

“It doesn't matter,” Mimi says, coming to stretch over the back of the couch and reaching out towards him, ruffling her fingers through his hair.

Michael shifts so that he's pulled out of her reach, her fingers left stretching at empty air. “You should quit. We've been over this.” He says it as a matter of fact, as if quitting her job, her life, is so simple, so easy. And okay, it might not be the exact direction she wants, but it's getting there, is in the same field at least.

Mimi feels her jaw set, feels the beginning of a familiar beat of a headache start up. They've been over this so many times. She's tired, she doesn't want to keep going over the same old arguments again and again.

“If I stick around long enough-”

Michael's eyes roll to the back of his head. And he makes a silly pssh sound, pushing his lips together. As if he's heard it all before and needn't bother to listen. “We could leave tomorrow.”

She knows. She knows Michael isn't happy when he's here. That give him a reason and he'll be out the door like a shot. He's made little effort to learn the language beyond the first few months, when the excitement was new and real and Mimi was his whole world. Then at some point it all just stopped, he's stayed the same, his whole world in Japan is pretty much just Mimi and his tv shows. Flying back and forth to America for his work and waiting for Mimi to say yes, you're right, I've had enough, let's do it your way.

Mimi feels her fingers tighten in the couch, nails digging into the soft plush of the cushion. “Hikari and Kou's wedding is in a month's time.”

“We could always fly back for the big event.”

“They'll want help with the preparations. I'm one of the bridesmaids.”

Michael waves a hand. “There are others, Meem. They can't honestly expect you to do _everything._ ”

“I don't think they do, Michael.” They at least expect her to show up for it.

He moves to kneel on the couch, arms curling around her waist to pull her into him. Mimi feels herself holding herself back. “We could even come back for a long weekend maybe.”

“They're two of my most important friends.”

“They'll understand then.” He grins at her as if poof, problem solved. Only he isn't listening. She doesn't want this.

She pulls herself out of his grip. “Michael, listen.”

He sighs, the noise irritated, coming from the back of his throat. “Mimi,” he starts, but she interrupts him and what comes out of her next doesn't just surprise Michael.

“This isn't working.”

For a second he blinks and then seems to take the words as something else. “Damn straight it isn't. How long have I been telling you that we should move-”

“No,” Mimi swallows, gesturing between them, “this. Us. _We_ aren't working.”

“Maybe we can work on our communication. Start afresh somewhere?”

“Oh God! No, Michael.” She raises a hand, fingers massaging at her temples. Her heart beating quickly, a sour taste in the back of her throat. “I think you should leave.”

“That's taking it a bit too far, don't you think? I only suggested-”

“You're not happy here. I'm not happy. Together we're miserable.” She takes a deep breath in. “I think we should split up.”

“What? Where is this coming from?”

“We're not going anywhere, Michael. One of us needs to say it.”

He opens his mouth, closes it and then opens it again. “I think you're being just a little bit dramatic.”

“We've been together how long now? And look at us, we're no better or further along than we were back at the beginning. It isn't working.”

“Well it won't if one of us isn't putting in the effort. Is this about your friends getting married? Is that what you want, a proposal?” He clambers off the couch and comes over to her side, clasping his hands over hers. “We'll get married then.” She feels a little frisson at the words, despite them being thrown out the way that they are, careless, a last attempt plea at their relationship. “If that's what you want.”

Ah.

Mimi lets her hands fall out of his grip. She's been waiting to hear Michael ask her the question for how long now? And this is how he does it? Making her feel like she's given him an ultimatum. It should be what _he_ wants, what _they_ want _together._

She takes a step back, feels her heart drop to the pit of her stomach.

“I think you should leave, Michael. This isn't working out between us.”

 

-

 

“Here,” Sora says, holding out a warm cup of something that smells gingery and sweet. “Herbal tea,” she clarifies, following Mimi's look of confusion after she sniffs it out.

“Thanks,” Mimi says, curling her fingers around its warmth. She's still dry eyed, has been since Michael left, she thinks she's maybe in shock, a gaping hole threatening to swallow her whole when she thinks about what she's done.

He'd left her saying that she was being ridiculous. Blowing everything out of proportion as always, as he stuffed his travel size bottles of shampoo and shower gel into his overnight bag and swung it around his shoulder. He'd asked her what else she could possibly want, and Mimi had wanted to tell him the truth: absolutely nothing and so much more.

“I still don't understand.” Sora says, coming to sit beside her. She's watching over her like a hawk, constantly hovering with what Mimi knows to be a packet of tissues hidden up her sleeve, ready. “Is this what you want?”

“I--”

“Knock knock!” Mimi's door swings open, Miyako letting herself in; her arms stacked with what looks like a bag full of shopping. “Mimi!” She shouts, dumping the bag on her kitchen counter and sweeping her friend up into a giant hug before she even has a chance to breathe hello. Sora's quick enough to grab the tea out of her hands before there's any chance of scalding, handing it back as soon as Miyako puts Mimi down, as she allows herself to slump back onto the sofa.

“What is this?” Miyako asks, sniffing at the tea like it might be toxic.

“Herbal tea,” Sora and Mimi answer.

Miyako pulls a face. “Seriously, Sora?” She wanders back to her bag, pulling a bottle of vodka out and jiggling it in their direction. “I think this calls for something a little bit stronger than herbal tea.”

“Is alcohol really the best in this situation?” Sora makes exaggerated eye movements between the alcohol and Mimi. “We all have work tomorrow.”

“You're not seriously considering going in?” Miyako asks with shock, looking back at Mimi.

Mimi shrugs. Honestly she hadn't even thought about work. About the rest of her life minus Michael. How everything is going to be different from now on and...

“Did I make a mistake?” she asks as Miyako scoffs loudly, already pouring out three shot glasses of vodka, and Sora, for just a hint of a second, avoids her eye contact.

“Stuff Michael,” Miyako shouts, holding a shot in the air and then pouring it past her lips. “Who needs or _wants_ a man?”

“Half of the time, you,” Sora answers, giving Mimi what's clearly a guilt ridden and reassuring squeeze of her shoulder.

Miyako waves a flapping hand at the both of them. “So when are the others arriving?” She's lining up more shot glasses in preparation.

“I've only told the two of you,” Mimi says. She debated telling Koushiro, hell she wanted to, and Hikari was always a reliable person to go to in a crisis, but... “They're getting married.” She says in retaliation to the twin looks of shock on her friends faces. “I didn't want to go crashing their big day with my...” she thinks of the appropriate word to say, car crash just about sums it up, “sorry relationship.”

“It's not like they're getting married tomorrow.” Sora says.

“Or the day of,” Miyako counters. “because then, sure, it could probably wait until later.” Sora throws her a look over Mimi's head. Miyako shrugs, “After the honeymoon at least.”

“It's just it's a month away and, I don't know, I didn't want to burst their bubble.”

“Bubble?” Sora asks throwing a confused look to Miyako who shrugs.

“Of happiness,” Mimi says and that's when she feels the tears welling.

“So your plan is to hold off on telling them until what, the honeymoon actually is over? Won't they seem a bit suspicious when you don't bring him to the wedding?”

“Oh god,” Mimi groans, throwing her head into her hands. “I'm going to be single at the wedding.” She can feel that thickness in her throat, threatening to spill.

“Lots of people are single at weddings.” Sora says reassuringly.

“Says the only happily married woman in the vicinity and therefore immune to the how-is-your-love-life-going conversation.” Miyako throws another shot down her gullet and Mimi peeks out between the crack in her fingers, throwing her hand out for her own shot glass. She might just be calling into work tomorrow.

She throws the shot back and practically throws the glass back at Miyako for a refill.

Stuff it. She definitely is calling in sick to work tomorrow.

 

-

 

Mimi's been preparing herself for this all afternoon and she still doesn't feel ready. Pushing open the doors of the university bar, talking herself up and entering the fray of first and second years, glancing around to see if there's anybody she knows or even vaguely recognises at least.

She walks over to the bar, only stumbling the tiniest bit in her new heels, and waits to get the bar man's attention, sliding her elbows onto the sticky wood and covering her eyes with her fingers. This is ridiculous, she tells herself, eyes roaming the shelves for anything that will get her feeling less like a jittery fool. She is not somebody to feel like this, crazily nervous. It's been just less than a month since she left America for Japan and already that girl who was so confident, so sure of herself, so excited to go back and learn in her homeland is gone. Vanished after just a few whispered comments and strange looks. She'd thought it would be easy, slotting back into Japan as if she never left, turns out it isn't quite so simple as she originally thought.

She maybe called Michael earlier and cried down the line, cradling the phone on her shoulder, her breath hitching and sobbing as she shook. The truth is she has no friends here. Her home, as much as it had at one time been Japan; is now halfway across the ocean, on a different time zone and speaking a whole other language.

This move had been her choice, her dream, and she really hoped she wasn't going to live to regret it.

“ _You_ look like you need a drink?”

Mimi blinks away the tears that are beginning to threaten once again, looking up to find a guy staring back at her. Immediately alarm bells are ringing. He's kind of sleazy looking and definitely out for what he can get with the way that his eyes roam down the the neckline of her shirt before darting back up again, definitely not somebody she wants to get involved with. For just a few seconds any and all words are stuck in her throat, which proves just fine for the guy who waves the bar man down and orders her something bright blue and possibly toxic. Mimi mutters a thank you, not wanting to be seen as impolite at least and takes a quick sip, immediately wincing as the alcohol burns the back of her throat raw. Definitely toxic. She pushes it away slightly, promising herself that she will not knock it back and wake up tomorrow with no memory of her night except for the bitter taste of lingering regret at the back of her taste buds.

“Kaoru,” the guy says, his hair slicked back to the sides of his head with some kind of thick product that looks like it'd take a while to scrape off your fingers.

“Um, Mimi,” she answers, shaking her glass at him, “and thanks.”

“We should go and sit somewhere more private.” His hand creeps around her wrist and Mimi flinches, pulling it out of his grasp. She stumbles back just to get away from him, splashing the drink over the sleeve of her top so that a bright blue ink like stain spreads over the white lace. “I don't-” she starts to say, right as she bumps into another guy right behind her.

“Hey, _there_ you are.” He says, hand taking hold of her drink and giving it a quizzical look; either because of the colour or the fact that he's now the one holding it, Mimi can't be sure.

She opens her mouth to respond and finds the guy rolling his eyes at her. “We're all sitting over here waiting.” He shrugs his hand over his shoulder, thumb pointing out a group of people who are laughing and drinking, not a care in the world, and none of which Mimi has ever seen in her life before this single moment.

He straightens up, “And you are?” he says, looking point blank at Kaoru who thankfully seems to know a lost cause when he sees one, turning back to face his friend on the other side as Mimi breathes a sigh of relief. He sniffs at her drink, pulling a face and then says, “You really shouldn't be drinking this stuff.” Lips hitched up on one side higher than the other. “Beer?” Mimi nods and watches as he orders two drinks, handing Mimi a cool bottle of her own dripping with condensation as he takes a sip out of his own.

Mimi follows him as he introduces himself, “Taichi. Sorry if you didn't want my help but that guy's been hitting on pretty much anything that so much as breathes in his direction (no offence) and he was looking to get a bit too handsy with you.” At this Taichi opens and closes his hand like he's performing a naked sock puppet show. Mimi can't help the bubble of laughter that spills out of her. “Feel free to tell me to mind my own business and you can-” He points back towards the bar and Kaoru.

“No, _no._ ” Mimi shakes her head. “Mimi,” she says, “If anything you saved me from drinking the rest of that blue concoction, so thank you.”

He laughs at that, head tipping back to reveal the tanned line of his neck above the white vest top he's wearing. “Okay Mimi, I promise you I'm not keeping you hostage. You're welcome to join me and my friends, _if_ you'd like, but I fully understand if you want to flit off somewhere.”

Mimi sips at her drink to give her some time to think. She could go back to being that lone girl at the bar, or admit defeat and traipse back to her room again. It's tempting, she could ring Michael, talk about what a disaster she is, how he was right and this was never a good idea in the first place.

Taichi's looking at her expectantly. He's cute, she admits, kind of athletic and hair a little wild, wearing a tracksuit type thing that Michael wouldn't be seen dead in. Full of a confidence that she seems to have lost.

Hell, she thinks, why not? “Can I join you?”

She smiles and Taichi beams at her, “That's my girl,” the words make her warm inside, insides fizzing, the thought that she belongs to somebody, anybody once again, making her feel strangely whole.

They walk the last few steps to the table and Taichi begins to introduce her to everybody. “This here is Sora, full time friend, part time nag/mom of the group.” Sora completely ignores him, smiling up at Mimi. “That's Yamato, her boyfriend.” He stage whispers to Mimi, “the only reason we put up with his shit if I'm being honest with you.” Yamato rolls his eyes, a small smirk playing across his face even if it also looks like he might be staring daggers. “Koushiro, we used to play soccer together before he lost the stamina in his legs. Now he's more likely to be found exercising his fingers.” Taichi motions typing and Koushiro completely ignores him, nodding his head hello. “And that is everyone.”

Mimi waves hello, taking a seat at the table, Sora pulling out a seat between herself and Taichi for her to clamber into.

Taichi turns towards her. “So what are you doing here?”

“I'm studying horticulture.” She looks at Taichi for the usual clues that he's zoning out. Mention the word horticulture and watch people's eyes glaze over. It's a bit like mathematics, only fascinating to the few people who find it genuinely interesting.

“So plants and stuff?”

“Well it's a little more than that.” She takes a sip of her beer. “But the general gist of it is, I guess, plants and stuff.”

Taichi nods. “Sora's mom teaches _ikebana.”_

“Really?” Mimi puts her drink back down, glancing towards Sora for confirmation.

“Uh huh.” Taichi says, “From an _iemoto_ family no less.” Mimi feels her mouth widen and Taichi drops his voice. “She brought such shame to the family.”

At this point Sora's picked up on their conversation and moves to swat at him playfully. Mimi blinks from one to the other, finding herself clearly out of the loop.

“I,” Sora fills her in, “chose to go into fashion design. I still use some of the creative expression I learnt in ideas for my work. I just prefer to get creative with fabrics.”

“Wow,” Mimi breathes. Not just at the fact that Sora is from a traditional _iemoto_ family, but that she's chosen to follow her own path and take control of her future. “I can't believe...”

Sora sips at her straw. “I'll introduce you at some point if you'd like?” Mimi nods at her enthusiastically, maybe a little too much as Taichi smiles at her.

She feels heat rise to her cheeks. “Sorry it's just-”

Taichi waves a hand at her. “Like finding out you just met _Pelé's_ granddaughter and she's agreed to let you meet him.”

Mimi looks at him blankly.

“Soccer analogy,” He whooshes his hand over his head. “Forget it.” She nods at him, laughing, taking in, once again, his clothing.

“So is that what you do? Why you're here?”

“Soccer?” Taichi starts fiddling with the sticky label part to his bottle.

“Do you play?”

“Sure,” Taichi answers and Koushiro interrupts him.

“He's being modest, he's the Captain of Todai's first team.”

“Really?” Mimi says, crunching a mouthful of ice at the back of her teeth and nearly choking.

“I was working up to saying it.” Taichi elbows Koushiro who shakes his head at Mimi and mouths the words show off.

Mimi laughs and blushes, finding it endearing, even if Taichi isn't her type at all, and she definitely isn't single. The fact that he's still out trying to impress her, well it's flattering really. “So you're third year?”

“Second year.”

“And you're captain already?”

Yamato chimes in at this point making an urgh sound. “Don't start him on it, Mimi, or he'll never shut up.”

“Jealous,” Taichi says, shaking his head and grinning. “It's quite sad really.”

Mimi laughs, taking in this group of people who seem to have accepted her friendship, slipping in between them like she's known them for a lot longer and fitting right in. This could be it, she thinks, the start of exactly what she's after.

Taichi leans over the table fixing her with a grin that sums up her feelings, a promise that she's chosen exactly the right path.

 

-

 

Hikari and Koushiro's apartment is what Mimi likes to think of as a proper grown up's apartment. All clean lines and matching furniture and no signs of any piles of miscellaneous bits that they've put down after work and fully intend to move at some point. The kind that always seem to stack up at Mimi's and just grow bigger. There's a pile of letters on the kitchen table and even those are all opened and in some sort of order. It's a tiny bit sickening if Mimi's honest; how much the pair of them have their lives together.

“So he's gone?” Hikari asks, coming to sit beside her.

Koushiro looks up from where he's slicing thin, golden slivers of mango, to add, “Back to America?”

Mimi nods. It was a little bit sad and definitely shocking at just how quickly Michael could see fit to leave her life completely. Even if, as he'd pointed out, it had been her in the first place to ask him to do it.

“And you're?” Hikari leaves the question hanging, giving Mimi's fingers a quick squeeze.

“Alright,” Mimi says, shrugging, throwing a quick and fleeting grin across her face. Sort of heartbroken, still spinning at how fast everything has gone haywire, lonely.

Koushiro lifts an eyebrow, moving the slices of mango onto a plate and within Hikari's reach, who then moves it between her and Mimi.

“You should have dinner with us.” Hikari says, turning to look at Koushiro who can't really say anything but yes. Not that he would as this is Mimi.

Hikari's phone dings just as Mimi is doing the polite business of turning the offer down. She's already had dinner at Sora and Yamato's this week, Miyako's twice and even gone out for dinner with Daisuke and Takeru. Pretty soon Sora will start pointing out how she can't seem to be on her own for much longer than half an hour. She is, at some point going to have to live up to her new singledom status. “I couldn't-”

“Mimi,” Koushiro sighs.

“You're sure?” Mimi asks, telling herself that she'll start tomorrow. No friends, no distractions, just her and her completely abandoned, vacant apartment.

“So long as it doesn't become a habit.” Koushiro says, popping a slice of mango into his mouth. Mimi pokes her tongue out at him just as Hikari makes a small squeak of surprise.

Hikari stares at her phone and then up at her soon-to-be-husband. “What is it?” Koushiro asks.

Hikari starts tapping away and then looks at the both of them. “Taichi is coming.” She starts tapping away again.

Mimi feels herself go hot and cold. Her mouth dry. “For the wedding?” she'd known that, of course she'd known that, has been preparing herself for it since the day Koushiro had told her he was going to propose.

“No, well yes,” Hikari laughs, “he's here.”

“Here?” Koushiro asks and Mimi feels herself ask, “What?” in a quiet voice.

Koushiro throws her a quick look and then asks Hikari, “As in here in Japan?”

Hikari nods and laughs, reading whatever message Taichi has sent her on her phone. “As in here at Haneda airport. Now.”

Mimi smiles, trying to match Hikari's enthusiasm when she feels nothing but sick and nervous inside. How does he still manage to do this to her? Even now?

Hikari looks up. “We might have to push back dinner.”

Mimi sighs and waves her hands. “Don't be silly.” This is why she adores Hikari. “No, no. Go get him, I can fend for myself for one night, honestly.”

“But-”

“Hikari, this is your brother.” A guy who can set your heart to racing within ten seconds of seeing him. “You can see me any time.” Because Taichi moved a whole ocean just to get away from her and she's been missing him ever since.

“You're sure?” Hikari asks.

Mimi nods her head, she understands more than anybody maybe just how badly Taichi can be missed.

 

-

 

As it turns out Koushiro, as well as taking a computer science course, (because just within five minutes of meeting him, Mimi understood he was clever beyond belief) is also in Mimi's entrepreneur business class. It takes her all of five seconds to make her choice and sit down next to him. Koushiro was quieter than the rest the first night they met, still friendly but comparatively shy compared to Taichi's loud presence. Alone is when Koushiro shines though, a quiet, sharp sense of humour and a patience and desire to help in any way that he can. Mimi can already tell that she's going to be incredibly grateful in the long run for his notes.

After class, he invites Mimi to come with him to meet Taichi. The two of them taking a seat on the benches of Todai's soccer field. There's a training game in progress as Taichi spots the two of them, throwing a wave Koushiro's way and then grinning and waving with even more enthusiasm as he spots Mimi.

“So you used to play?” Mimi asks as Koushiro keeps one eye on the game and the other on his phone.

“A long time ago.” Koushiro answers. “My parents thought it would help me socialise.” He shrugs. “It's not really my thing, but I met Taichi and Sora so I guess it worked out in that sense.”

“Sora plays?” She asks, shocked.

“Not really, not any more. Unless she's just kicking around with Taichi. The pair of them can get a bit too competitive when they go up against each other.” Koushiro gets a look on his face like he's swallowing something particularly gruesome. “You don't want to see it. It can get a bit nasty. Just ask Yamato, but be prepared for some ranting.”

Mimi laughs. She can't quite picture the girl she met last night sweating it out on the soccer field, refusing to give in until she's beaten her friend. Taichi on the other hand, with the way that he's been storming across the field, tackling left, right and centre and shouting at others to do the same, well, she can imagine he takes his pride quite seriously.

The final whistle blows and various people in the crowd get up and start cheering. Koushiro and Mimi make their way down to the field where Taichi is waiting, towel around his neck, guzzling back a bottle of water.

“Not bad,” Koushiro says, side stepping Taichi's half hearted punch to his shoulder.

“You missed the fantastic goal I scored in the first half. If you'll wait for me to get changed we can go and get some lunch together?”

Koushiro shakes his head. “I've got class in ten.”

Taichi nods, “Mimi?”

“Sure,” she says, “I'm free for about an hour.” She still has time for some lunch before her next class anyway.

Ten minutes later and Taichi's racing up to meet her, his hair slicked back from his shower, his t-shirt sticking to him in places where his skin's still damp. There's something mesmerizing about wet skin and cotton and Mimi tries to distract herself by looking off into the distance.

“So,” Taichi asks, “edible and dirt poor for the rest of the week or canteen and still able to afford some food by Wednesday?”

“Hmmm,” Mimi pretends to think for a second. “Considering it is only Monday, canteen alright with you?”

“Ah, good, if not slightly disappointing, point,” Taichi slings his kit over his shoulder and waves goodbye to some of the members of his team still kicking the ball about on the field. Mimi can already see a few of them elbowing each other, raising their eyebrows as the pair of them walk away. Taichi though, seems completely oblivious. “Save the best for Friday.”

At the canteen, Mimi looks through the pickings. A choice of some kind of dry leaf salad, gloopy looking rice of some kind or fried delicacies. She hovers between the salad and the fried choices, she thinks it might be chicken? Some kind of pork? Taichi comes to hover over her shoulder. “Trust me, go with the fried. It's been fried to death so much that you know whatever it once was is now edible,” he piles a heap onto a plate and then stretches to grab her another, “and bonus, all you can taste is the fat, so.” He shrugs and then laughs at the face Mimi is pulling.

“I'm not sure you selling it that way is a good thing. Plus _you_ can work all that fat off on the field.”

“Trust me, you haven't hit that as a problem.” He raises his eyebrows and Mimi feels heat rise to her cheeks despite the fact she knows he's teasing her. “Yet anyway.”

“Hey!” Mimi grins at him, accepting the plate of food and moving along with Taichi to pay and then find themselves a table.

Taichi swallows down a mouthful of food. “So, Mimi Tachikawa, tell me more about yourself.”

She picks at her meal, biting the bullet and taking a bite. Chews, meat is a little bit dry but fine otherwise and okay chicken, she thinks. Not mystery meat that'll come back to haunt her later. Taichi is right, the fried flavour definitely comes through, tingling at her taste buds. It could use something sweet to pep it up though.

Taichi hands her a bottle of chilli oil. “ _Rayu_ ,” he says as Mimi sprinkles it over her food. “Adds a touch of spice and heat. A bit of flavour.” Mimi takes another bite and then nods her head at Taichi who's eagerly awaiting her reaction.

“Could still be slightly sweeter,” she admits, “but it definitely tastes better now, thank you.”

Taichi takes a mouthful of his own. “So has your family moved back here or...”

Mimi shakes her head. “My dad's job is still based in New York, he travels in between though sometimes so hopefully he'll come and visit. My boyfriend, Michael, says he'll try and come by out of term time too.”

'You're doing long distance?” He drags a chicken finger through some _rayu_.

“We are.” She still gets a stirring of butterflies when she even thinks of him.

Taichi purses his mouth and makes a low whistling sound. “That cannot be easy.”

“It isn't.” She shrugs, taking another bite, the fire burst of chilli hitting the back of her throat. They're still in that first flush of dating, making time and calling each other or sending messages whenever they can. “We're trying though, that's the main thing. What about you?”

Taichi takes a sip of his drink. “God no, this is the best years of my life, Mimi. I've no time to settle down. I mean when I'm older, sure. Right now though is time to let go and have some fun, sow my-”

Mimi stabs a fried chicken finger his way. “Do not say wild oats.”

He grins at her then, resting his head against a fist. “I don't know how the hell you do it. A one woman man. Lucky Michael.”

Mimi beams at him.

 

-

 

Mimi cannot stop fidgeting. It's the day after Taichi's landed back in her life and all she can think about is the way that every guy she comes across on the street has the possibility to be him. Which seems both incredibly unfair _and_ unbelievably hopeful. A flash of brown hair or a strip of tanned skin having her do a complete 180, which really doesn't do a lot for her hangover.

Hikari had messaged her last night, a simple, _sorry about dinner, maybe later in the week? Stay strong and see you tomorrow. x._ No mention of Taichi and his homecoming and then silence for the rest of the evening. It had taken all of Mimi's willpower to not ask about him. She maybe went home, insides fizzing with nerves and loneliness, a dangerous combination if ever there was one; drank an entire bottle of wine to herself and woke up this morning, mouth wide open and bone dry, after falling asleep on the sofa.

She still looks the worst for wear, squinting in the sunlight, as she'd scoured her apartment this morning and hadn't been able to find her sunglasses. At least then she could have looked like she was trying for some sort of look and not just damage control with make up that really wasn't working.

“Stop that,” Sora says, putting her hand over Mimi's to hold it in place. Her phone buzzes, once, twice and on principle, Mimi ignores it. She can be still, calm and completely in control of herself. Simple. Sora looks at her with concern, head fully tilting to one side as if a better angle might provide her with more insight. Mimi can't deal with Sora's concern this early on a hangover morning. “Are you sure everything is okay?”

Mimi nods, biting at her lip and hoping the pain will stop the onslaught of tears from coming. Breathe, she tells herself. Just breathe through it. She takes a sip of her drink to calm herself, there's probably very little chance Taichi will be coming, right? There's maybe the slightest possibility. But then if he knows she's there? God, she's already dreading the wedding.

Sora's flicking through her scrap book, page upon endless page of gorgeous sketches of possible designs she's contemplating. Sora's neat and hurried scribblings written along the side with ideas of changes and materials. She's designed Hikari's wedding kimono; the _Uchikake_ a simple but beautiful array of embroidered pink and white flowers. The _Kakeshite_ a beautiful pale pink and white, her formal _Obi_ belt a deeper shade of pink. It suits Hikari perfectly, traditional and yet still managing to showcase Hikari's sweet personality all the way through.

Sora draws a flowing curve and then looks up. “Do you think-” She stops, looks up and gasps. “I don't believe it.” Her mouth opens and then stretches out into a grin, teeth flashing.

“What?” Mimi throws her head back, trying to get a glimpse of what Sora's seeing when she hears a familiar voice say, “Takenouchi, are you a sight for sore eyes.” Sora's chair scrapes back and Mimi feels herself turn hot and cold all over, the alcohol inside of her swishing about. Turning around just in time to see Taichi scoop Sora up in to a giant bear hug.

He puts her down and Sora takes a step back, hands still gripping his arms as she takes in the sight of him. Hikari and Koushiro are coming through the crowd, Miyako a step behind them.

“What? When?” Sora looks out at Hikari and Koushiro, the former of which is beaming from ear to ear.

“Last night,” he fills in. “Transfer, I couldn't miss my little sister's wedding.”

“Transfer?” Sora asks, “So you're staying?”

Taichi shrugs. “A couple of months at least.” He scratches the side of his jaw, there's a line of stubble growing, a long haul flights worth at least. “We'll see.”

Mimi takes a step back, hovering on the edge of this mini reunion and feeling like an outsider. She wants to run away. Shameful though it is, her heart beating like a trip hammer, her palms clammy with sweat. And despite all of that she still wants Taichi to see her.

Backing up and smacking right into, “Mimi!” Miyako's voice, at times, can be like a foghorn.

Taichi's head whips around, that same, easygoing grin hovering right over her breastbone, caught in her throat. “Mimi!” He says her name like no time has passed between them at all. Miyako pushes her forward as Taichi walks out to meet her, catching her arm in a one handed grip before she stumbles forward into him. Easily enough, he lifts her right off her feet, spinning her in a circle before placing her back down onto solid ground. “God, it's been forever.”

Mimi still feels like she's spinning in time, Taichi's hand warm in hers as she says, “yeah,” real eloquent and meaningful. She could kick herself if she didn't think that letting go of him right now would mean falling down in place.

“God, you look like hell.” Miyako's head appears in between them, one hand pulling down her pair of sunglasses to get a better look at her friends face. Mimi could kill her. She loves Miyako dearly, but right now she has visions of strangling her friend in her head. The rest of the group swarm around them and Taichi lets go of her hand, moving to stand beside a petite woman with curly dark hair who looks as out of place as Mimi once felt.

Oh.

“And who's this?” Sora asks in the tone of somebody who already knows. Mimi watches as Taichi moves to put his arm around her. “This is Carolina.”

“And-” Miyako starts lifting her head at the pair, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Aren't you going to tell them?”

Mimi feels her heart drop.

Taichi glances towards Hikari. “Well we were going to wait until after the wedding.”

“I've already said that you're not hogging any limelight.” Hikari tells him. As Koushiro chimes in to say, “Just don't go making the announcement on the big day.”

There's that polite sprinkle of laughter as Carolina fits perfectly into Taichi's side. “Show them!” Miyako trills, as Mimi watches Carolina shyly hold out her left hand, the ring finger of which is elegantly adorned by a fine silver ring, a small, delicate diamond shining from the middle of it.

“Isn't it gorgeous?” Miyako asks, grabbing a hold of Carolina's hand and wagging it up and down as Sora gasps beside her. Mimi swallows, air going down her throat like she's swallowing chunks of gravel and bits of grit. Miyako's waiting, looking at her expectantly as she manages to choke out, “beautiful.” Pasting a smile on her face as Taichi grins at her, just like back on that day they first met.

 

-

 

Takenouchi designs is a small office building, all plated glass windows with large streams of some of the most beautiful fabrics Mimi has ever seen. It's minimalist from the outside, some of Sora's most recent designs displayed boldly and taking centre stage. It's definitely got the wow factor and it's the kind of place Mimi's mother would insist they go into, even if it was just to browse. Mostly Sora's work goes out to small boutiques for sale, but occasionally she does private work for individual clients. A little further in, past the office assistants, lies Sora's office; a much more relaxed and homely affair, decorated to her own taste and much less intimidating.

Sora's hunting through her desk as she sends one of her assistants to fetch Hikari's dress for her final fitting. Miyako peering out the office and surreptitiously checking out price tags of the beautiful kimono's on the mannequins. Mimi's enjoying watching her eyebrows rise every so often as she mouths out the prices. Carolina and Taichi have tagged along, Taichi because he wants to see the dress before the big day and Carolina trying her best to fit in with them. Despite the fact they've yet to really talk, Mimi feels a flash of sympathy. Knowing just how hard it can be trying to fit in to a new country and feeling out of place.

The assistant brings in Hikari's kimono, handing it over to Sora and curving his lips into a smile. “Thanks, Kyou.” She says, taking the folded garment and gesturing for Hikari to follow. Miyako trails behind as Hikari turns back around and asks Carolina if she'd like to come with. Carolina doesn't hesitate to follow, looking entirely grateful to Hikari as she pushes a lock of curly dark hair behind her ear.

The door closes and Mimi tries to look busy by checking her phone. Those messages earlier, the first from Koushiro, letting her know that they were on their way and the second from Miyako informing her that she'll never guess who has gone and gotten himself engaged, followed by two winking smiley faces. Mimi regrets not having looked at her phone sooner. It would have at least saved her the trouble of heartbreak in front of a group of people.

Taichi is busy glancing over Sora's desk and Mimi wonders if he feels as awkward and as unprepared for this moment as she does.

“So,” he says, hands in his pockets, and Mimi looks up startled. “How have you been?” He leans back against Sora's desk, the shirt he's wearing stretching across his chest as he crosses his arms, looking at her.

“Good,” she answers, wishing that she hadn't drunk that entire bottle of wine last night and had had the foresight to have washed her hair this morning. “Carolina seems... nice.”

Taichi beams then and Mimi has to bite the inside of her cheek to stop from grimacing. “She's fantastic. Honestly, Mimi, you're going to love her.” Mimi nods. She doesn't see how that can be possible. He seems to hesitate, debating to himself before, “Hikari told me about you and Michael. I'm sorry.” He walks over to her then, stretching out one hand to place it consolingly on her arm. “How are you doing?”

“Well I drank an entire bottle of wine to myself last night, first night on my own,” she points out as Taichi opens his mouth to respond to her, “and this morning I woke up wondering if I've made some pretty silly choices.”

Taichi's looking down on her now and if he says anything remotely nice, she thinks she might burst into tears on him.

“So that explains why you look like a raccoon kidnapped you and dragged you through some hedges backwards.”

“Hey!” When she looks up at Taichi, he's grinning.

“The hair, Mimi. I don't think I've seen you with unbrushed hair since the morning after Yamato and Sora's leaving party.” That's not the last time and he knows it, but neither of them say anything.

“Are you saying I'm not pulling off the hangover and mid-life crisis look completely?”

“Nobody can pull off the hangover look over the age of twenty five. But I'll give you bonus points for being able to dress correctly. The last time I went out late night drinking, I woke up, got dressed and only realised half way through the day that the reason everyone was staring at me slightly oddly was because I was wearing my top inside out. All the seams were showing.”

“You weren't?” Mimi gasps and Taichi winces. “And nobody told you?”

“Not a single person.”

“Idiot,” she laughs then, feeling the years of unspoken words melt away between them. Maybe it won't be so difficult?

“Besides you are far too good and far too young to be having a mid-life crisis. Just watch, in a couple of week's time, you'll have your life back together.”

“Can I hold you to that?”

Before Taichi can answer, Sora steps back into the room, closely followed by Miyako and Carolina, who smiles at Mimi shyly before taking her place next to Taichi, his arm automatically winding around her.

Hikari comes in next and everybody inhales as one. Mimi has, of course, seen Hikari in the dress once before, but it still takes her breath away, the absolute beauty of the design and the way it fits her perfectly. Koushiro won't be able to take his eyes off of her.

Taichi's mouth is opening wider, stunned into silence as Hikari turns in a dainty circle and then asks him shyly, “So, what do you think?”

“I think you look beautiful.” He says, moving forward to hug her and then thinking better of it as he doesn't want to rumple the material.

“Go ahead,” Sora tells him. “My designs are made of sturdier stuff than your two arms. He nods and then enfolds Hikari into a bear hug.

“Has mom seen you yet?”

He pops Hikari back down, taking another step back to look at her. “She came to the first fitting.”

“And?”

“ _And_ she was crying her eyes out.”

“Typical.”

“We had to keep her away from the material.” Sora pipes in, adjusting the sleeve and stepping back to admire her handy work. “Perfect.” Absolutely nobody disagrees with her.

 

-

 

“So what do I do?” Mimi asks. Taichi's craning his neck around the bar, eyes flicking from girl to girl as Mimi rolls her eyes at him. “You're being too obvious.” She pauses. “And desperate.”

Taichi turns back around to face her, pure agony written all over his face. “Really?”

Mimi stirs her free drink, the only reason she agreed to do this for him, and says, “Do you really need me to just sit here with you?” Surely if he's sat with a girl already, another one isn't going to approach him?

Taichi takes a sip of his drink. “Of course I do, Mimi. You make me look entirely non-threatening. And you just gave me valuable advice. Koushiro has never pointed out that I'm being obvious or desperate before.” He pulls his face and then says to himself, “Maybe that's where I've been going wrong lately.”

Mimi rests her head on her chin and sighs at him. “Koushiro wouldn't know being obvious if it him in the face. Whatever made you pick him as your wing man?”

“It's still a good night if nothing happens.” Taichi shrugs and starts counting off on his fingers. “He's got the cute factor. Yamato has the devastatingly sexy factor, which is no good whatsoever, and Sora refuses to help me.” He grabs a hold of her hands and then says dramatically: “And I need a lot of help, Mimi.” He lets go and then lets his head fall into his hands.

Mimi sighs again. His pity party is doing its work. “Stay facing your drink.” She swivels around, drink in hand, sucking on her straw as she takes stock of possible dating opportunities. There's a pretty girl just walking in, dark blonde hair that's loose but not too overworked, make up there but not over obvious; clearly caring about her appearance but not letting it dictate everything about her either. Mimi sits up straighter and elbows Taichi who grunts. “What about her?”

“Who?”

“Blonde, hair down, my ten o'clock.”

Taichi twists and then hisses through his teeth. “Oh no, no, no.”

Mimi tilts her head to the side. “Why not? She's pretty?”

Taichi winces. “First year, ended in disaster.” Right on queue the girl catches Taichi staring and glares daggers at him.

“Ouch.” The both of them quickly swivel back around avoiding her eye contact. “Wow. You did a number on her, then, didn't you?” She can practically feel the girl's eyes burrowing a hole in her back still.

Taichi is steadfastly staring at his drink. “Is she still looking at us?”

“Do you really want me to turn back around and get caught in her death stare?” The both of them look at each other, wide eyed and then snigger. Mimi risks a quick backwards glance. The girl has already gone off. “The coast is clear.” She kind of wants to ask but decides she may not want to know the answer.

Taichi supplies her with it anyway. “First date. I was nervous, I maybe had a bit too much to drink before the date and then some more on it. Long story short, I threw up on her shoes.”

“You threw up on her shoes?”

Taichi nods and groans as if admitting the truth physically causes him anguish. “By accident! It's not like I went with the intention.”

Mimi laughs and then gasps. “What did she say?”

“Honestly?” Taichi pulls at the buttons of his shirt. “Next thing I knew I was on my own, in a taxi, making my way back to my dorm room. I've not been able to talk to her ever since. Or look at her really...”

“You didn't even say sorry?”

“Can we not talk about this?”

“You brought it up.”

“Actually you did by making her aware again of my presence.” Mimi sticks her tongue out at him and then goes back to scouring the crowds. It's fun, she thinks, this wing man, or woman, business. The buzzing and addictive thrill of that first flush of attraction, but none of the jittery nerves that go along with it.

“Hmmm. My six o'clock?”

Taichi peers and pulls his mouth.

“Weird dress sense.” They both say at the same time, dissolving into giggles again as they face each other.

“Drink up,” Taichi says. “I'll get you another.”

“Are you trying to get me blind drunk so that I forget your shameful story?”

“Maybe, but I'm also thinking it's going to be a long night and we may as well enjoy it.” His lips curve into a grin and Mimi can't help but beam back at him.

 

-

 

A couple of days after the final fitting of the dress, Taichi texts her.

_Hope you don't mind. Hikari gave me your number. wonderin if ur free for lunch 2moro? X_

Closely followed by: _And this is Taichi X_

Mimi knows she shouldn't read into anything. Taichi is engaged. Has probably even set a date by now, she hadn't even thought to ask him. But the fact that he's even thinking of catching up, having lunch with her, had put a tiny kiss at the end of his texts, well it has her beaming.

She can do this, she thinks, be friends with him. It hadn't seemed possible after everything that happened, but the truth is she'd rather be casual acquaintances or friends, than nothing at all. It's just the simple matter of being in his life again.

She types back an answer quickly and the pair agree to meet at _Ichiran,_ a _tonkotsu ramen_ place _,_ the next day.

Taichi is already occupying a privacy booth when Mimi spots him. He waves when he catches sight of her, wearing a charcoal two piece suit that he's unbuttoned at the collar, a lavender shirt and a plum coloured tie which is poking out of the bag down by his side.

He catches her raised eyebrow at the look. More used to him wearing training gear and jogging pants.

“Looks like you don't need my help any more to scrub up.” She feels a flash of sadness and panic as soon as the words leave her mouth. Luckily, Taichi either ignores or doesn't care to read into what she's saying any further than the light teasing it was meant as.

“I came straight from an introduction at work.” He pulls his phone out, eyes scouring down whatever he's reading before giving Mimi his full attention. “I already ordered for us. I'm starving.” He grins at her.

Mimi rolls her eyes, taking her seat. She's back to feeling that nervous jittery godawful feeling. Like they've trailed all the way back to the beginning and don't know how to act, feeling each other out once again and learning everything anew. “So how did it go?” she asks, breaking the ice and feeling herself relax by the tiniest of margins.

“Fine,” he waves his hand. “They want me to start in a couple of days, the team has training I'm going to oversee on Monday. Until then I've got a file of treatment programmes I'm going to go over.” Their order of food interrupts him. Two steaming _tonkotsu ramen_ bowls placed in front of them.

Taichi leans over his food. “This smells amazing.”

“So it's... good to be back?”

Taichi waves a cupped hand over his bowl, inhaling the steam that rises. He digs his chopsticks in, popping a slither of pork belly into his mouth. He closes his eyes, chews and swallows and then opens them to stare at Mimi. She remembers that feeling. There is nothing like your own home country's food. “You have no idea how much I have missed this.”

Mimi finishes sucking up a noodle, tipping her head to the side. “I always missed _onigiri_ the most. I think I ate nothing but the first week I came back.”

“You didn't?”

Mimi nods. “I stockpiled a hoard in my room. I'm pretty sure my room mate petitioned for me to be thrown out of the dorm because of it.”

“You know even if Carolina doesn't want to stay, I don't think I can give this up again. Not after I've tasted it.” He practically inhales his egg as Mimi registers his words, picking them apart in the seconds it takes for him to swallow. A tiny voice in her head telling her that she's just got him back. She can't lose him again, can she? Is that a possibility?

“So the job isn't for the long run, then?” She goes with neutral territory. Casually picking apart her dish. Not even mentioning the other woman.

Taichi shrugs. “Maybe it can be. The opportunity came up and with Hikari's wedding, it just seemed like the right thing to do. I don't think it'll be as easy for Caro though. It's not going to be easy for her, wasn't. She gave up a job she really loved and the company wasn't too keen on letting her go either.”

“That adjusting period.” Mimi says, letting her chin rest atop her hands. She thinks back to the beginning with Michael. How easy and promising their future had seemed. “Michael had seemed so happy at first.”

Taichi winces. “I didn't mean to bring up-” She shakes her head.

“You two are engaged.” The word comes out sounding flat to her own ears, but Taichi doesn't seem to notice. “You'll make it work if you want to.”

Taichi smiles. “You think so?” He puts his chopsticks down, giving her his full attention.

Mimi takes a look at her own bowl full of food. The once soulful aroma now making her feel queasy inside. “I do,” she says and Taichi smiles appreciative at her.

He opens his mouth, closes it again and then thinks better, says, “Then what happened with you and Michael? If I'm allowed to ask?”

Mimi nods. That's the question, isn't it? In some ways, she thinks, their relationship had been doomed from that day right back at the beginning. Or the second beginning at least. You couldn't make a relationship work when you were already in love, your heart broken and desperate for somebody else's touch. “You know how ducks look all smooth and floating on the surface but underneath their feet are paddling like mad just to stay afloat?” Taichi nods, clearly wondering where she's going with this. “I think that just about sums up me and Michael.”

“Ducks?” Taichi says and Mimi nods, grinning.

“He asked me to marry him, you know.” She hasn't told anyone this. Not even Sora or Miyako and she doesn't fully understand why she's admitting it now.

“Really?” Taichi looks surprised, fingers fiddling with his dish. “What happened?” Even his own meal has been forgotten now, small bobbing slices of spring onion threatening to sink below to the depths of his pork and chicken broth.

“It was an afterthought. I don't think he even meant it really, he just didn't want to let us go.”

“Mimi Tachikawa is never an afterthought.” He reaches out hesitantly to grab her hand, his thumb barely grazing over her knuckles. “You deserve more that that.” For a second they're holding each others gaze, the shared history between them palpable in the air so much that Mimi struggles to breathe.

Taichi is engaged.

She swallows and sighs, breaking the moment and feeling the odd relief and ache as she does. Her voice light and teasing as she says, “Well as I recall, your proposal wasn't exactly swimming either.”

Taichi picks his chopsticks back up, twirling them around in his fingers, his forehead scrunching up. “You remember that?”

Of course she does. In her deepest, darkest moments she replays the scene over and over in her head. Except differently. With the scenario she wishes could have happened. If she'd only thought to have acted sooner. She pretends to think. “Hmmm, let's see. _Mimi Tachikawa, will you do me the honour of becoming my, if-we're-still-sad-and-lonely-in-ten-years-time wife?_ ” 

Taichi grimaces. “God, I didn't?”

Mimi nods, grinning. “You did.” She pokes him with her own pair of chopsticks. “I think in the moment it sounded a whole lot more flattering, but then we were drunk.”

“I've missed this,” he says, “Japan, my friends and family, you.” Before Mimi can even think to say anything in response, he carries on, “In my defence, I was drunk and lonely and very, very sad when I proposed to you.” Taichi starts laughing and Mimi joins in, the pair of them getting the odd look from the booths surrounding them. “Well if I wasn't,” he waves his hand at her. Mimi staring at the spot where some day soon, maybe not in the too distant future, a wedding band will take its place. “Of course, the offer would still stand and you'd be a lunatic not to take up that opportunity.”

Mimi flicks a spring onion in his direction. “I seem to remember you saying something very similar at the time. So thank god that isn't the case then.” The nausea's back, the steamy broth tasting like dust in her throat.

 

-

 

“You cannot wear that.”

“What? Why?” Taichi starts to lounge against the door frame, sliding down it like he's seen one episode of next top model and learnt all he needs to know.

Scrunching her nose up, Mimi takes another look at him. “You like this girl, right?”

There's a pause before, “Definitely.”

“Then we're going to make an effort.”

“ _We're?_ ”

Mimi stops him from sliding further down the door and starts pushing at him to go and get changed. “Well you anyway. You just need... a lot of my help before you can get there.” She imagines Michael turning up at her door for a date in what looks like an outfit he'd been sat in all morning. It would never happen, of course, he was always dressed to impress, more likely to look in a mirror sometimes than she was.

Half an hour later, “What about this?” Taichi picks up what, casually speaking, is an okay polo shirt. Date wise, not so much. Mimi slaps his hand off of it. “Ow, hey!” He cradles his hand, pouting at her.

“You need to think less hanging out with your soccer team and more, I wonder what my date looks like underneath her dress. Because right now, the way you are going, there's a distinct possibility you're never going to find out.”

Taichi looks forlornly at the polo shirt. “Well it doesn't have any logos or sayings or pictures on it.”

Mimi pats at his arm, carefully prying his hand away from reaching out towards the polo once again. “I'll give you a point for that, but we need to think more up market.” She turns around to scan the store. “This way.”

Taichi looks at where she's pointing. “Bow ties? I think you're thinking of Koushiro. I really don't think I can pull that look off.”

Mimi turns to roll her eyes at him. “Koushiro can't even pull that off. He just has that weird, I don't know what I'm doing, thing going on and gets away with it.”

“You've noticed that.”

“Taichi, everyone has noticed that. The only one who hasn't is Koushiro. No, I'm looking at the shirts.” Mimi pulls a white, collarless, long sleeved shirt from the hanger and Taichi pulls a face at her.

“Do you not think that's trying too much?”

“Taichi, you need to try a lot more than your current wardrobe.” At this point he pouts at her, throwing a dramatic hand against his chest.

“You wound me.”

She pushes the shirt up against him, checking out the look of it. How she'd imagine he'd wear it. “Don't be silly. Look, if a guy asked me out on a date and then turned up in his training gear, well let's just say I wouldn't be sticking around for another drink or dessert too eagerly.”

At that, Taichi holds his hand up. “One. I was not wearing my training gear.”

Mimi sticks her tongue out at him. “Barely. You were two items of clothing away from wearing soccer boots to complete the ensemble.”

He grabs the shirt out of her hand. “Fine, I'll try it on. Does that suit you?”

But victorious, Mimi's already turned around and spotted some others across the way. “What about this one?”

Fifteen minutes later, after a denim shirt which he says, 'looks like I travelled back to the 90's', a black shirt that 'looks like I came from a funeral', and a flowery shirt that 'is not anything I would be seen dead in', Taichi walks out of the changing rooms in a navy shirt with a darker navy stripe across its middle, long sleeved, classic collar and absolutely perfect. Mimi bounces to her feet, clapping her hands together as Taichi gives her a little twirl, grinning.

“So?” she asks, knowing perfectly well he's happy as there's no sarcastic remarks greeting her.

“It's not too tight, do you think?” After wearing loose fitting shirts for what is at least the whole time Mimi has known him, if not his entire life, Taichi appears not to understand how a shirt is supposed to fit. At least a tailored one anyway.

“Let me see.” Mimi runs her hand over the material on his shoulders, letting her fingers trace down to his waist. A pleasurable jolt hits her right between the ribs, something she really shouldn't be feeling and Mimi takes a quick step back, clamping down on that feeling before it has a chance to truly be felt. “Oh.”

“Oh?”

Mimi shakes herself off. “It's fine. Pair it with some skinny jeans and we've got ourselves something smart and casual.” She wraps her arm across her belly, keeping that short distance between them both.

“Casual, smart,” Taichi repeats. Grabbing a hold of Mimi's hand and pulling her into him. He wraps his arms around her, pressing her head up against his neck. “Thank you.” He says as Mimi stutters out, “welcome,” in return, breathing in the scent of his aftershave, a hint of musk, leather and something crisp, like apples in the back of her throat. “She's not going to know what hit her.”

In the blink of an eye he's let her go and Mimi stumbles back, awkwardly trying to regain her feet. “Right,” she says, breathing the word out as Taichi heads back into the changing room.

It's later that night when her phone buzzes, as she's sitting in, alone on a Friday night. The thought of her friend out there, playing the field so to speak, making her feel oddly lonely. The text is, of course, from Taichi and without reading it Mimi hopes he's not sending her any gory details. She's glad that she helped him but she doesn't want to know every sordid detail of how their date went.

_Outside your room. Date was exceedingly bad but thought why waste a pretty good outfit. Get dressed. I'm taking you drinking._

Her heart beats fast.

Mimi covers her mouth, laughing, hops up from her bed and goes to open the door for him.

 

-

 

“Do you know what you're going to do with your hair?” Miyako asks, dragging up a length of hers in her fingers and curling it up against her ears. Mimi twists to get a look at her, she's already had her dress adjusted, long legs looking positively colt like in the ensemble. Mimi is just a tiny bit jealous.

“Keep still a second,” Sora says, pins in her mouth as she adjusts Mimi's shoulder strap. She spits the pins out of her mouth and then looks up at Mimi. “I just need to take it in a little at the shoulder, it's hanging off of you just a touch.”

Miyako picks up her glass of champagne and takes a swig. “So hair wise? What are you thinking? Hikari, any particular requests?”

Sora looks up. “Kyou, could you take down these measurements?” Kyou comes over to her side, taking down notes as Sora stands up and reaches for her own glass of bubbly. “I was thinking of wearing mine up, a couple of strands down at the side, curled maybe.”

Miyako nods. “Mimi?”

“Down and curled?” The bridesmaid dresses are all in the same pretty, blushed pink. Each girls dress the same knee length with a different design up top. Mimi's is a tastefully low cut, v neck, Sora's an asymmetric with a beautiful twist of fabric and Miyako's a sleeveless sweetheart cut.

Kyou takes down the measurements and leaves the room as Miyako turns around and mouths the words, _you should_ _get on that_ , to Mimi. Mimi scrunches her eyebrows and shakes her head. Miyako doesn't pay attention in the slightest.

“Sora, your assistant?”

“Kyou?”

“What's his deal? I'm not picking up a gay vibe but are we talking single, attached?” She swirls her flute of champagne around as she's talking, looking the epitome of sophistication. Mimi gets the urge to knock her flat.

Sora looks up, tilting her head to the side. “I don't think so.” She pauses. “You're not thinking of-”

“Not for me, silly,” Miyako interrupts her. “Mimi.”

Hikari looks up from flicking through her magazine. She's there for moral support really, and maybe the free glass of champagne she's been swigging. “Mimi?” She blinks back at her friend, wide eyed and suddenly curious.

“Of course. What is he, like twenty? Young thing in his prime. Best way to get back on the wagon.” Miyako winks and stars gesturing with her hands. “Meaningless night of fun or break his heart and he'll bounce back like a dynamo. Win-win in either situation.”

“Miyako,” Sora admonishes.

Miyako bats her hand at her. “We can't all be married at fourteen, Sora. The lady needs some fun.”

“The lady can speak for herself, thank you.” Mimi says, interrupting their argument before the two of them get going. “And thank you for trying to set me up with a young, nubile man,” she says the last words breathlessly, “but I'd rather enjoy my meal for one and box sets tonight anyway.” The thought of dating again and throwing herself back in that whirlpool makes her feel on edge.

“You have to get out there at some point, Mimi.” She's back to fussing with her hair. Mimi sighs at her. Miyako means well, she knows that, she's just not ready to be looking again.

“Have you heard from him?” Sora asks. “Michael?”

There'd been angry words the last time they'd spoken. Mimi asking if she should send on his remaining items and Michael asking if this was really what she wanted. Ever since there has only been civil texts.

“A little.” She knocks back the last of her own glass of champagne. The bubbles hitting her stomach and feeling oddly flat.”

“You need some fun,” Miyako sing songs.

Hikari slaps her hands down on her magazine, making everyone jump. “Girls night out!”

“I don't know,” Mimi says. She can see it now. Miyako pushing every available and slightly questionable bachelor her way until she drinks too much and makes a decision she's likely to regret in the morning.

Hikari points a finger at her. “I think Carolina is finding it a little tough to adjust. All her friends are back home and when I'm out and about she's been spending her entire time with Taichi, and I think she's ready to crawl the walls for some other form of company that isn't my brother.”

“So we kill two birds with one stone?” Miyako asks.

“Exactly,” Hikari says. “Mimi?”

Mimi squirms in her dress. The last thing she wants to do is go out with the woman who's currently bonking the guy that she's never managed to get over herself. Still, she also doesn't want to lose Taichi to halfway across the world again. “Okay,” she says, as Hikari grins and Miyako whoops behind her.

 

-

 

“This is too hard.” Mimi crashes her head down against the table, knocking over her useless pens.

“It is not.” Taichi reassures her, bending to pick them back up. He has his own pile of books propped up next to him. A pad of paper in which he's jotting down notes at his side. A bottle of water on the table in order to keep rehydrated, because Taichi is ridiculously healthy at times like that. He also brought one for Mimi. She'd rolled her eyes at the gesture, but had secretly been incredibly grateful.

“How do you know?” Mimi whines. God she hates it when she whines, but she's after sympathy here more than anything.

“I know because I took the same course last year.” Taichi stops writing and turns his head to look at her. “And if I managed to stay in and complete the first year, I have no doubt that you'll sail through it.” He peers at her work which is mostly nonsensical writing and worthless doodles she's taken to drawing when bored. “Has Koushiro given you his notes?”

She nods. “How does he just find it all so easy? I mean, I was sitting there next to him in the class, and I still feel like some of this makes no sense.”

“Mimi, breathe.”

She takes in a deep breath and then lets it out in one quick whoosh. “It's just that this is important.”

“Of course it is. I never said it wasn't.” Taichi's voice comes out sounding soft.

Mimi looks up, rubbing the ache that's beginning to settle around her temples. “I know.” She spent the majority of last night on the phone to Michael, telling him about how stressful she was finding her coursework. How much she was missing him and how life was so unfair that he was currently only available by phone.

Taichi takes pity on her, placing his pen down and reaching out to give her a hug.

“What do you want to do?”

“Go back to bed and forget about everything.” She looks up at him and his smile slides into sympathy.

“No, silly,” he holds her out at arm's length. “What is all of this for? In the long run?”

Mimi slides her eyes off to the side, reluctant to make eye contact. “Okay,” she says. “In my heart of hearts?” Taichi nods encouragingly. “So one day I'd love to own my own place.” She bites her lip between her teeth and makes eye contact again. “A small, individual shop selling plants of all kinds, maybe some fresh flowers, but mostly I want to concentrate on plants.” She hasn't even told Michael any of this. There's something, deep down, that wonders if he'd think it's nonsense. “Does that sound, I don't know? Fanciful?”

“Of course it doesn't.” She's more used to Taichi when he's being less serious and it always takes her by surprise when he isn't. Which, honestly, has happened enough times by now that it really shouldn't.

“That's my dream anyway,” she shrugs, feeling self-conscious. “You?”

“I've thought about coaching, maybe, in the long run.” It's Taichi's turn to look uncomfortable.

“What is it?” Mimi asks. She can feel her voice dropping in tone, like between the pair of them they're sharing their deepest secrets.

“In a few weeks there's some scouts coming to the big game we have against Osaka.” Taichi scrubs the back of his head with the heel of his hand. “Coach thinks I might be in with a real chance of making the right connections to go pro.”

“Really?” Mimi sits back. “That's great. I mean. Wow.” Her cheeks puff up like a hamster and she blows out a stream of air. “Wow.”

“I'm definitely trying not to think about it.”

“It could be huge.”

Taichi eyes slide to look at her, deadpan.

“Sorry. Sorry, but it could be.” He grins at her and Mimi finds herself grinning back like it's infectious. “Do you fancy putting the work aside and celebrating the future?”

She half expects him to admonish her, tell her she really needs to buckle down and concentrate. Taichi slaps his book shut. “I thought you'd never ask.”

 

-

 

“Here,” Sora shoves a drink, some kind of fruity monstrosity, into her grasp. Fiddling with the straw in her own concoction before taking a huge sip. “If Miyako doesn't see you looking merry and at least slightly on your way to intoxicated soon, we'll all be suffering.”

Mimi clinks her glass with Sora's and sucks at her own straw. The burning sensation of strong alcohol leaving an after taste in her mouth. “That guy back at the bar was checking you out by the way. Should I leave you to it?”

Mimi grabs her friends wrist. “Don't you dare leave me to deal with him.”

Sora eyes her friend up, noting the panic, clearly trying to decide what to do for her best interests. “Fine, but I can't defend you for the whole night. Knowing Miyako she's probably rated and slated every guy in this room already.”

Mimi groans. “I know.”

Their friend waves them over at that point. Miyako, Hikari and Carolina all huddling around each other, swaying to the music and sipping at their own drinks.

“What do you think of her?” Mimi asks Sora, glance sliding to the Italian who is wearing a midnight blue bandage wrap dress, the material of which is hugging tight to all of her curves. She's pinned her hair atop her head, natural curls shaking their way loose to fall against her neck and cheekbones.

“She seems sweet.” Sora answers. “A little shy, but that's to be expected. I think she'll fit right in if she wants to.”

Mimi glances up at her. “What's that supposed to mean?” She thinks about what Taichi was telling her the other day over lunch.

“I think she's finding it harder than she expected. The language barrier for one. She hasn't found a job yet.”

Mimi peers back at her over the rim of her glass. “You seem to know an awful lot about her.”

“We went out for lunch the day you met up with Taichi. She's really trying to make an effort. We had them over for dinner the other night.” Mimi takes another sip, hoping to splash away the flickering flame of jealousy with the splash of alcohol instead. “Yamato likes her. He thinks she'll be really good for Taichi. You can already see such a difference in him from how he used to be.”

“Hmm,” Mimi says, non-committal. To her, Taichi never needed changing in the first place.

Sora's hand rests against her shoulder, her fingers slightly sticky against her skin due to her drink. “Just try and make an effort with her. I think she thinks you may have taken a disliking. 

Mimi nearly spits out her drink. Spluttering out, “Of course not. I don't even know her enough to-” she trails off, catching Carolina looking at the pair of them and plastering what she hopes looks like an encouraging grin on her face. “See. I'm being plenty friendly.”

“Let's go and have a good time and make friends then!” Sora tips her glass towards Mimi's.

“Great!”

“Mimi, get over here!” Miyako hollers with what looks to be the first of tonight's eligible bachelors already wrapped around her waist.

 

-

 

Mimi wakes up just after ten to the back of Sora's head, the curls she'd spent a half hour fixing into place now limp and knotting, her friend dead to the world beside her. Untangling herself from the sheets and being careful not to wake her up, Mimi makes her way into her kitchen. The night had ended at some point in the early hours of the morning and as Yamato was at home, Miyako's roommates wouldn't be particularly happy with everyone crashing in their apartment and Koushiro having an early work appointment, Mimi had ended up offering her own place for everyone to crash at.

“Oh, morning.” Carolina's head pops up from Mimi's sofa. Sora having shared Mimi's bed last night and Miyako and Hikari sharing in Mimi's only guest room. Her hair, despite being naturally curly, on a night out and having slept for several hours on a sofa, is almost immaculate. Mimi intensely dislikes her.

“Would you like a coffee?” She's set a fresh pot brewing, the smell already bringing a bit of clarity to her hazy mind. She hadn't drunk that much, but the lack of sleep is definitely affecting her.

Carolina yawns, like a kitten in a patch of sunlight, uncurling her legs from beneath Mimi's tangled blankets and traipsing her way into the kitchen. “I would love one, thanks.” Mimi smiles, setting out two cups and listening sharply for any sign of the others moving about. Hoping that at least one of them will come to her rescue. She should have elbowed Sora in the head in hindsight.

Coffee made, Carolina sips at it slowly, mostly inhaling the scent as the drink cools itself down in front of her. “I'm glad I caught you on your own actually.”

Mimi blinks, inhaling her own drink so that it catches and burns at the tip of her tongue. “Oh?”

Carolina nods. “Taichi's told me how close the pair of you were at university.”

“Um.”

Mimi hears ringing in her ears, dropping her cup so that the liquid spills a little over the lip and onto her table. Would Taichi have told her everything? Well the two of them were engaged to be married. Was this going to be some kind of warning to stay away from her man or something? “Okay,” Mimi says, slowly, bracing herself and waiting for the bombshell to drop.

“He told me that you work for a company now. Chrysanthemum? A flower wholesaler? At least I think that's what he said it was called?” She struggles over the words, obviously not used to using them in normal conversation. Mimi nods, unsure where this topic is heading. “I know your speciality is plants. Taichi has said as much. But I was wondering if you would help me with our wedding flowers?”

“Oh?” Mimi feels ice flood to her stomach.

Carolina puts her coffee down. “If it's too much to ask?” She waves her hands as Mimi tries to work her mouth back into functioning. The last thing in the world she wants to do, is to help organise their wedding. But what excuse exactly does she have to avoid it?

She circles her mug handle with her fingers. “Well I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask, really.”

Carolina nods her head, the light in her eyes dimming. “It was silly of me to ask.”

Mimi feels incredibly guilty. “I could take you around some florists, but then I think you're better off asking one of them for advice.”

Carolina lights up again, looking flustered. “I know we haven't even set a date, but I feel like I need to get things rolling.”

“Of course,” Mimi says. She's a nice girl, she thinks, kind, shy, but with a fire inside of her in certain situations that Mimi can tell Taichi would be attracted to. Given all of that, Mimi can't fully make herself hate her.

“I need food,” Miyako groans from the doorway, a groggy looking Hikari leaning against her and gesturing at Carolina's cup in what Mimi takes to mean she wants coffee.

“God, what time is it?” Hikari croaks.

“10:30ish.” Carolina answers.

There's an audible groan. “And just why are you two up and shouting at the top of your lungs, then?”Miyako wails as Mimi distracts herself by making the pair of them a coffee.

 

-

 

The first round of exams are beginning to wind down and in celebration most people are spending time drinking their cares away at the student bar or spending an entire week catching up on the sleep they've missed out on.

Taichi comes back to their table with two bottles, clinking their drinks together and slumping down next to Mimi. “Well thank god that's all over.”

Mimi picks up her bottle and raises it in the air. “Here, here!”

Taichi shifts in his seat. “So do you have any plans for the summer?”

“I'm staying the first couple of weeks before flying back to New York. Michael has a summer internship, but we're going to spend as much time as possible together.” She's been counting down the days since exams started. She's going to miss her friends here, but hopefully the constant attraction of having Michael nearby will keep her busy.

Taichi sniffs and then turns to her. “Sounds like fun.”

“I just want some well deserved time off and shopping. You?”

“I'm looking forward to seeing Hikari. I think Koushiro's planning to spend a few weeks at ours.” He pauses for a beat. “Sleeping most of the day away sounds like a plan at the minute.”

With his soccer training, Taichi's been no stranger to early mornings. Spending any time he's not been studying, training for the big game against Osaka in order to impress the scouts. He looks tired, she thinks, purple shadows under his eyes that a good week of sleep will do wonders for. Though he's not admitted anything, Mimi imagines he's been struggling to sleep with both the nerves of exams and the big game's outcome.

“It went well though, the game?” She'd missed the first half due to her own exam, her and Koushiro running out of the hall as soon possible, joining the rest of their friends for the second half. As far as she could tell, it had all gone perfectly, but then Mimi wasn't exactly what you'd call a soccer expert.

Taichi lifts a shoulder, scrubbing one hand through his hair. “Coach said they'll take a few weeks to decide anything. He's hopeful though, so that's something. I shouldn't expect to hear anything until after summer.” Which is a really long time to wait to hear news that could possibly affect your entire future.

Mimi's about to say so when, “Taaaaaaaichi!”

A cheer goes up at the bar and Taichi suddenly looks like he would kill to be invisible. He lifts his drink at the guy who shouted his name. Mimi turning to recognise what looks like half of Taichi's soccer team pouring in to the bar in one big huddle. The first few buy a round of drinks and then walk their way over, pushing and shoving each other as Taichi eyes them warily.

“Shots!” One of them slams a tray down at Taichi and Mimi's table.

Mimi shifts and Taichi moves to sit up straight. “Look guys, we just came out for a quiet drink.”

Booing echoes around the group and a guy named Akihiro, Mimi recognises him at least, says, “You're saying no to a little bit of fun, Yagami?”

Taichi looks positively sick. “Look guys.”

“Come on,” Katsu elbows him. “Mimi here looks up for it.”

Taichi turns to her, mouth open and Mimi shrugs at him. “Have a shot,” Akihiro says, taking two off the tray and pushing them forward at the pair of them.

“Mimi, you don't have to-”

Mimi reaches out, fingers slipping around the glass before knocking it back. A cheer goes up around the table as Taichi stares at her like she's gone crazy.

“Taichi! Taichi! Taichi!” Keeping his eye on Mimi the whole time, Taichi takes his own shot, the group following suit as sticky glasses slam down on the table, now empty.

Another round later, the team start gathering momentum. Akihiro downing another shot as he says, “Game time. Never have I ever!”

Mumblings go round the group as Taichi says, “No way.” He's purposely avoiding looking at Mimi. Ducking from the swipes and punches that are aimed his way light heartedly.

“Truth or dare then.” Akihiro says, there's a sly twist to his mouth and Taichi looks about to tell him where to get off. There's tension there, Mimi thinks, and Taichi looks tired and pissed off enough that it won't end happily.

Alcohol lining her stomach and boosting her confidence, she reaches out for another shot, swallows it back and then says, “Dare.”

The guys all eye each other as Taichi says, “Mimi, you don't have to do this.” He stands up. “Let's just go.”

“Taichi's protecting his girlfriend, everybody.” A rumbling of 'ooooooh' goes up around the table and Mimi doesn't miss the distinct colouring that lights Taichi's face up.

He turns around whip fast, eyebrows scrunched together. “She's not- look.” He sighs, “I'd do the same for Sora and you know it.”

“No, you wouldn't.” Katsu laughs. “Takenouchi can handle herself.”

“So can I.” Mimi insists, pulling Taichi back down beside her. “And I believe I said dare, gentlemen.”

There's more elbowing as somebody Mimi doesn't recognise says, “Now this one is a keeper.”

“Kiss Taichi.” Akihiro says. That same sly twist is back on his face again.

Taichi is already up and protesting. “Guys, it'd be like kissing my sister. No chance.”

“Hikari? I'd be up for that one.” There's sniggering and Mimi feels her heart beating fast and strong against her ribcage. Is the idea of kissing her really that repulsive?

“The lady said dare, Taichi.”

Mimi snags Taichi's wrist and gets him to look at her. “Just do it.”

“But-” She knows he's going to bring up Michael. A silly little game of truth and dare isn't exactly what she'd call cheating.

“I don't mind.” She gestures to the team. “Besides it'll shut this lot up if you'd just kiss me.” Mimi swallows. “It can't be that bad, can it?” She's joking of course, but she's beginning to get that impression.

Taichi stares back at his friends who are jeering him on and then turns back to Mimi. “You really don't mind?” he asks her and Mimi shakes her head.

“Ah, has to be a proper kiss!” Akihiro says.

Mimi pulls Taichi's attention back to her, leans in and kisses him. For the slightest moment there's hesitation from both sides before Taichi wraps his arm around her and Mimi pushes herself up from her tip toes, circling her hands around him to slide up the curve of Taichi's back.

There's a stirring in her stomach and Mimi finds she can't concentrate on her thought, as Taichi opens up his mouth against hers and Mimi thinks, oh, _oh_ , so this is what kissing your best friend feels like. She finds herself leaning into him, at risk of falling if Taichi wasn't holding her up and supporting her from underneath.

They break apart.

Taichi turning away from her as the spotlight falls onto its next victim; Katsu being dared to drink the empty dregs off the next table.

Akihiro elbows Taichi and says, “Didn't look to me like you were kissing your sister.”

 

-

 

“I know roses,” Carolina says, “and lilies, of course. That's about it though. I guess flowers have never really been my thing, a lot of faff and nonsense if you ask me.” Taichi clears his throat and Carolina seems to remember who she's talking to. “That's just me though. Of course... I didn't mean...”

“It's fine.”Mimi's big enough to let that gloss over her. Not everyone shares the same passions and if Carolina can't see the simple and wondrous beauty of nature, well that's just her problem. “Have you thought about what you want at all? Modern? Traditional? Colour schemes?” She sounds like she's their wedding planner. Taichi throws a sympathetic wince her way when Carolina isn't looking.

Mimi's brought them to a smaller florist she knows. Chrysanthemum supplies them with some of their wholesale products and Mimi's worked in the past with her account. She knows enough to know that the lady that runs the place would be able to help them and genuinely doesn't try to rip people off. Carolina's already poking her nose around the displays outside, the heady smell of flowers thick in the warm summer air.

“I'm really sorry about this.” Taichi says as Carolina is out of earshot. “I honestly didn't know she was going to ask you.”

“It's fine,” Mimi says. She's beginning to sound like a robot. “Like I said, I can't really help but point you in the right direction.” She throws her hands out to indicate the florist.

“It's not like there's a rush even.” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “I think Caro's got wedding fever from Hikari. She's been flicking through old wedding magazines for inspiration.” He says the last words with air quotes. “You'd think that first we should set the date, hell, even the venue.”

“Are you thinking of having it here, in Japan?” Mimi can picture the scene now, some of her friends as bridesmaids, the rest dolled up in their finest attire while she slumps at the back with a wad of tissues, more a vision from a funeral than a loved up wedding. God, that's if she even gets invited.

Taichi flickers a glance towards Carolina, eyes measuring the distance and whether he should say anything that he might live to regret later. He looks uncomfortable and Mimi wonders if all is not as well as it seems in engagement heaven. He slumps forward and then settles with, “There's still a lot we need to decide on together.”

“Taichi,” Carolina appears back in the doorway, “come and help me with the translation.”

It's just ideas, Mimi tells herself. Nothing is set in stone until they've set a date anyway. She can't help but think this is the most stupidest thing she's ever signed herself up for.

Two florists down and Mimi vows that after this last one she's going to leave them. There's only so much wedding preparation you can watch between two people. Especially when you have no prospect of your own to look forward to in the future, and when you think you might still hold quite a candle for one of the other party.

“What do you think of this, Mimi?” Carolina asks her. It's sweet really. She's genuinely trying to keep her involved, as if planning their big day is always something she's dreamed of doing.

Mimi leans over. It's a small arrangement of flowers, delicate blooms like gyp, spray roses and lisianthus. It's a beautiful bouquet but the wrong type for someone with Carolina's curves and body shape.

“Hmmm, I think you could do better with a different shape.”

Carolina nods and carries on looking through the florist's portfolio.

“Hey, have you seen this?” Taichi asks Mimi, pulling her away to what she can only describe as an absolutely gorgeous display of all different kinds of orchids. There's moth and singapore, boat and oncidium. Splashes of deep blue, striking yellow, baby pink and more.

“They're beautiful.” Mimi says as Taichi comes up behind her.

“You know I always thought this was going to be you.” Mimi turns to look at him. “Your dream, remember? Whenever I thought about you.” He pauses. “I saw you in your own little place, like this, surrounded by everything that you love.”

Mimi sighs, fingers reaching out to touch one of the orchid's strong, thick, fleshy leaves. “Me too.”

Taichi blinks at her. “Then why aren't you?”

Mimi doesn't mind her job. It's not what she wanted originally, but it pays the bills. She's been due a raise since, what, several years ago and that seems likely now to never happen. Still, setting up her own business, going it alone... It's never just as easy as simply wanting to do it.

She answers truthfully. “I don't know. Because I'm scared to.” Taichi regards her thoughtfully and Mimi feels herself growing flustered. “Anyway, enough about me. We're supposed to be here picking out flowers for your wedding.”

 

-

 

“So what do you think?” Koushiro puts his speech down and eagerly awaits her verdict.

“Sweet and to the point. 10 out of 10 in groom's speeches I've heard this year. Although, personally, I'd get rid of the cheap comment.”

Koushiro looks down at his writing, reading it back. “That it would have been a hell of a lot cheaper if the guests hadn't turned up?” Mimi nods. “But, I thought that was funny.”

She scrunches up her face. “Not sure your mother will think so and it's the best man's job to make the funny pitch. Yours is the sincere one.”

Koushiro looks down at the piece of paper again and then crosses out a line of writing. “Good point.”

“What you said about Hikari is beautiful.”

Koushiro beams at her, shoulder coming up to rub at his face. “And all true.”

Mimi takes a swig of her oolong tea and rolls her eyes at him. “Absolutely sickening.” Koushiro grins at her, all teeth, folding his speech away and taking a seat at her table.

“It looks different, you know, this place.”

Mimi looks around. “You think?” She's moved what was left of Michael's into a box in her wardrobe. Giving up her initial attempt to give him anything back after their conversations had become hard work and bordering on never speaking to each other. Anything she considered junk going straight out the apartment. She's added extra plants, what Michael always called her fascination for dust collectors; small succulents and a bamboo plant to help bring a natural balance and light to her kitchen. In truth, she's fallen a little bit back in love with her apartment.

“Hmm,” Koushiro goes, “much more Mimi.”

“Well I can only assume that that's a good thing.”

Mimi looks for his reaction but he's too busy fiddling with the lid of his drink, eyes dark in a way that Mimi can tell means he's holding back a thousand thoughts a minute. She nudges him with her foot. “Not getting cold feet, are you?” She knows he isn't. Koushiro has been in love with Hikari since about a week after they first met, only falling deeper and deeper as time's gone on.

“Taichi said you're going on a night out. The two of you. Something about being your wingman?”

Mimi nods carefully. “Like we used to back in uni.” She can tell from his tone that he's not just casually asking to be kind and she feels the need to explain herself. “It's just a night out.” Koushiro raises a brow. “We're just friends, Kou.” After another beat of silence. “He's engaged, remember?”

“That's what I'm worried about.”

Mimi feels a sharp sting underneath her breast bone. “I would never-”

Koushiro holds his hands up and Mimi stutters to a stop. “I know that, Mimi. That's not what my concern is. I'm worried about you getting hurt in the long run.”

“We're just friends.” she says, digging her nails into the grooves of the table.

“But is that all you want to be?”

“It's not what you're thinking. He's helping me _find_ a date.” Koushiro's giving her a pitying look. Mimi panics. “Besides, Sora's set me up with a hot, young thing from her office.”

At that he looks surprised and the tiniest bit relieved. “Really? Hikari hasn't said anything.”

“Well I said no at first.” In this part she's telling the truth at least. “But then I thought, hell, why not?” Miyako will be thrilled at least.

Koushiro sinks back into his chair. “Well good,” he says. There's a touch of pink to his face as he runs a hand through his hair, looking back at her. “I didn't mean to sound like I was-” Mimi makes a 'pshaw' sound and Koushiro shrugs. “It's just I know Taichi trusts you with his problems, and I don't want you to get hurt coming between them.”

He's the only one she ever told of her feelings, well, besides the obvious anyway. She closes her hand over the top of his and squeezes. “I know you're looking out for me, Kou. Honestly though, you don't need to. Taichi and I, well, it never happened and I guess it was never meant to.”

“He seems happy, Mimi.”

“I know. I know. I'm happy for them too, but it's your wedding first, so speech again.” She bangs her hand down on the table, hoping to distract Koushiro from the guilt that's written all over her face. “One more time with feeling.”

 

-

 

God, this is such a stupid idea.

Mimi shifts, hand stretching down to readjust the strap of her dress which is sliding off of her shoulder, again. She feels uncomfortable. Like she's fifteen and crushing on some kid that is way above her level. She should be the one with all the confidence. She's not that much older than Kyou and if you watch anything on tv these days, the older woman is supposed to be the predator. At least that's what Miyako had told her, throwing countless strappy and tight fitting dresses at Mimi in an effort to 'show off what mother nature gave her.' She looks down at the low, revealing top of her dress and crosses her arms in an effort to hide them. The movement pushing up and only emphasising what she's really not comfortable having out and on display. God, does she look desperate? Mimi collapses into her hands. This used to be so easy and come so natural. What the hell is wrong with her?

After the conversation with Koushiro she'd had to call Sora, begging her to work wonders and magic on getting her a date. Even if she thankfully hadn't had to explain why she was suddenly so desperate. She'd then cancelled the night with Taichi, explaining that she had a date, trying to make her voice sound as excitable as the words coming out of her mouth.

“So you're ditching me for a younger, better looking model?” he'd asked her.

Mimi had pressed the phone up to her ear, trying to smother her laughter. “It was only a matter of time, really.”

“Well, I'll call you after.” he'd said, and Mimi had been unable to say no.

Koushiro was right, she was an idiot.

Now here she is, trying to simultaneously keep her dress straps up and flick her hair coquettishly as Kyou comes back to their table with a round of drinks.

“So how long have you known Sora?”

Mimi takes a sip of her drink. “Since forever now, we met at university. You?” Kyou blinks at her. Mimi could kick herself. “I mean how long have you been working for her?”

Kyou swipes a stray strand of hair back behind his ear. Honestly, Mimi's surprised he's an assistant. If Sora did menswear, he'd clearly be one of her models. There's at least four girls hanging around the general area like a pack of cats. All playing the disinterested game, secretly planning how best to take Mimi out when her date isn't looking.

Kyou starts to answer and Mimi eyeballs femme fatale number one who's leaning down to scratch at her ankle, no doubt wondering if she can plant her stiletto in Mimi's back.

“Sora's great though.” There's a pause before, “Mimi?”

Mimi blinks back into awareness. “Oh definitely, one in a million.”

Kyou nods. “I'm so lucky to be working for her.”

Mimi takes a long sip of her drink. At this rate it's going to be a really long night.

 

-

 

“So?” Taichi asks.

Mimi bends down to unclasp her shoes and then kicks them off, shoving them into a corner. God, her feet are killing her. When will she learn with high heels? No guy is worth the effort. Digging her toes into the soft plush of her carpet and sighing. She cradles the phone in her shoulder, rubbing at the back of her heel. “Well let's just say I'm still single.”

“Oooh, that bad he doesn't even get the option of a second date, eh?”

She puts her phone on speaker and walks through into her kitchen to grab a glass of water. Kyou was good looking, maybe too attractive in some ways. He probably spent more time than Mimi checking himself out in the mirror. “Honestly?”

“Tell me,” Taichi sounds like he's settling himself down for a good tale.

“I think he spent most of our date going on about himself or Sora.”

There's a brief pause before, “Sora?”

“I know. Weird, right?”

Taichi starts laughing.

“Okay, stop that right now.”

“You went on a date and all this guy could talk about was his employer? What, was Sora paying him?”

Mimi rolls her eyes, a small smile curling onto her lips as Taichi carries on laughing. “It's not funny.”

“No, no, you're right. It's quite sad really.”

“Taichi! Why are you being so cruel to me?” She's trying her best to keep her voice serious.

“Hey!” Taichi defends himself. “I'm not the one who set you up on this disastrous date. You should be blaming Sora.”

“Well, Sora would at least sympathise with me.”

“True,” there's scuffling as she hears muffled voices before Taichi comes back on the line. “I've got to go but Friday night, you and me, we have a date.”

“Wait,” she tries, as Taichi talks over her.

“No ifs or buts, lady. It'll be like old times, I don't know why you turned down my help in the first place. You clearly need it. I'll send you the details tomorrow.” And just like that he's hanging up on her.

Just like old times, she thinks, isn't that the problem?

 

-

 

“What do you think?” Yamato asks the group. He's got his serious expression on, the mother hen part of him worrying. It's after summer break, a week into the new term and Taichi has just introduced them to his new girlfriend.

“You know he hates it when you do this.” Sora says, picking up her cup of coffee and steadfastly refusing to give in to the need to gossip. Junko, said girlfriend, is currently with Taichi grabbing their own hot drinks, her arm curled around Taichi's own as Mimi watches.

Yamato sighs at his own other half. “Mimi, thoughts?” he asks as Mimi turns back to the group's conversation. She's spent most of her summer in New York, spending time with Michael, which had been a lot rarer than she'd originally thought, what with his summer internship taking up most of his time, even on his days off he seemed to be working. She wonders what her friends would think of him? Whether they'd sit here judging how he treats her and whether she could do better in the long run?

“I,” she says, smiling as Yamato leans in. He likes to pretend that he's above university gossip. “Think she seems lovely.”

Yamato's mouth twists up. “Koushiro, your verdict. You've known her longer than us.” Koushiro had met her over the summer after having spent some time staying at Taichi's.

“She's nice.”

“Nice?” Yamato sits back. “That's the best you can give me?”

It's funny, Yamato and Taichi's relationship. On the one hand they're always ribbing each other, bordering on saying mean things and sarcastic comments. Looking like they're not hugely fond of each other if you don't particularly know them. On the other hand, Mimi knows for a fact that the pair of them think of each other as brothers, always watching the other one's back.

Mimi laughs at Yamato's indignation. She's missed this, her friends, Japan. It's funny how easily New York seems to have become distant to her. Spending her time counting down the days until she could come back to what, she's ready to admit to herself, she considers home now.

It leaves some big questions up in the air. Not the least of which is what to do about her relationship with Michael. She doesn't want to end anything with him, she likes him, but in reality there's a small, nagging voice at the back of her head starting to ask the question of how much longer the pair of them have it in them.

“Yama,” Sora puts a placating hand on his knee and grins at him. “She does seem nice.”

“Well Takeru says Hikari says there's something a little off about her.”

Koushiro squeaks beside Mimi, shaking his head as she throws him an odd look. What's his problem?

“Well he certainly seems to like her.” Mimi says. They're no strangers to meeting Taichi's latest other half, but this time she's noticed he seems to be making the extra effort. In truth, she's maybe missing his attention, his company that she can usually rely on to always be there.

“I know Taichi. There's something not quite right... it won't work out, I'm telling you.” Yamato says, crossing his legs and looking smugly satisfied as Sora checks him with her shoulder.

 

-

 

Mimi forces her way through the hospital doors, heart beating like thunder against her ribcage, her stomach muscles taut enough that it makes breathing difficult. She's left Koushiro to deal with the ride here, following the signs to the right ward and finally spotting familiar faces in Yamato and Sora.

Yamato's currently pacing up and down, phone a constant at his ear as he speaks in a quiet, urgent tone to whoever is on the other end of the line. Sora's sitting down when she reaches them, leaning over herself, hands wrapped tight around her knees.

“Sora?” At Mimi's cry, Sora jumps to her feet, walking out to hold Mimi in her arms. She looks pale, clearly shaken by everything that's happened. Mimi swallows thickly, “How is he?”

Yamato walks up behind them. “They're not telling us much. He's gone straight into surgery. They think it's a compound fracture of his tibia and fibula.”

Sora shakes her head. “I've never seen anything like it,” she pauses, tears springing to her eyes and Yamato curls an arm around her, looking at Mimi as he says, “It was really... bad doesn't even cover it.”

The doors swing open and Koushiro enters the room. Business head on as he asks, “You've called his family?” Yamato nods. “What the hell happened?” Koushiro rarely gets mad but right now he's shaking.

“It was a bad tackle,” Yamato explains as Sora huffs out a sarcastic breath. “They collided on the field.”

“So, is his leg broken?” Mimi knows next to nothing about possible soccer injuries and is now wishing that she'd spent every single free moment learning all that she could. She thinks about Taichi's hopes for the future. A broken leg or ankle could mean he's out of the game for months for recovery.

Yamato and Sora look at each other and it's Koushiro who asks them, “What?”

Sora breathes in heavily. “I couldn't see much, but his leg was broken at least. The bone pierced his skin.” She looks outward then as she says, “His blood was all over the field.” She clamps her mouth shut, Yamato pulling her in closer towards him.

Koushiro and Mimi look at each other. Koushiro's gone white underneath his skin and Mimi imagines she looks the same as him.

“He'll be okay though, right?” she asks, her voice quiet and shaking. She feels sick, like her whole world is spinning. She wants to see him, no, she needs to. “When will he be out of surgery? Can we see him?” She wants to barge into the surgery, demand the doctors to do everything they can to fix him. Taichi needs her, she thinks, she can help him. Why hadn't she gone to watch the match? Maybe she could have done something?

It's Yamato who answers, “The doctors said it'll be a couple of hours at least. They won't tell us much of anything considering we're not family.”

Mimi feels herself wind up as tight as a rubber band. “Well that's just stupid. Don't they know, don't they know...” she stops herself from finishing the sentence _. Don't they know we love him?_ She bites her lip and Sora reaches out to hug her.

“This is Taichi,” Sora says, stroking the top of Mimi's hair, “if anyone can come out of this relatively unscathed, it's him. I know it.” Mimi feels herself sag against her. She wants to believe that, she does, but she can also feel Sora's muscles trembling against her. What she must have seen... His blood all over the field...

“He'll be okay,” Mimi says, even if she doesn't quite believe it. Hoping against hope that what she's saying turns out to be the truth.

It has to.

 

-

 

“Mimi?”

Mimi blinks slowly, jolting awake as she remembers where she is, regretting the movement as her neck cracks and Yuuko Yagami winces in sympathy.

“Sorry,” she says, her voice is tender, quiet, and there's a thickness to it that implies everything she's been through overnight and this morning.

Mimi feels panic surge in her throat. “Is everything-”

Yuuko places a steady hand on her arm, calming her down as Susumu Yagami appears behind her. “Coffee?” he says, handing her the warm beverage.

Mimi rubs a hand over her eyes and glances at the clock, it's five thirty in the morning. The Yagami's had turned up around early evening, waiting for any news from the doctors that had performed on Taichi. When they finally got word that the surgery had been successful, they'd managed to persuade Yamato to take Sora home and get some sleep, persuading her that there was little that they'd know now until tomorrow anyway. Junko had visited in the early hours of the evening, sitting pale faced between Taichi's friends and family for a few hours before leaving, insisting that somebody call her as soon as he was awake and up for visitors. Mimi, Koushiro and Hikari had insisted on staying.

Mimi stretches as Yuuko says, “Koushiro's just taken Hikari back to his to get some sleep. Taichi woke up about an hour ago.” Mimi feels her stomach swoop, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Is he alright?”

Susumu throws a knowing look to Yuuko who smiles back at him. “If you want to head back, get some rest and freshen up a bit before coming back to see him?”

Mimi shakes her head. “I'm fine, honestly, can I see him?”

Yuuko nods as Susumu says, “He's still a little out of it. He's on a lot of pain medication so he's a bit,” Susumu circles his finger against the side of his head, crossing his eyes just in case she doesn't get the picture.

Yuuko places a hand on his shoulder. “That is our eldest, injured child you're talking about.” She looks back to Mimi. “He's been asking for you.”

Mimi breathes a sigh of relief. Surely if the pair of them are up to joking with each other, things can't possibly be that bad, can they? She stands up, coffee forgotten to grow cold, and makes her way to Taichi's room.

“There you are!” His words are coming out slightly slurred and he looks like he's lost enough blood to lose his usual tanned colouring. His leg is pinned up, firmly secure in plaster and gauze and Mimi hovers around the wiring, being careful not to touch anything in order to get closer to him.

Mimi plasters a smile on for him. “Here I am,” she replies.

She can feel a lump in her throat and Taichi's eyes are glazed, tilting his head to the side as she tries to keep it together. “Oh, don't do that. M'fine, see?” He pats his chest, fingers sliding loosely before resting on his stomach.

“Me? Don't _you_ do that again.” She laughs, bittersweet. “Do you know how worried we've all been?”

He pats the space of the bed beside him, hand missing on the second pat and falling off, the movement pulling him forward and making him cry out in pain.

“Taichi!”

Mimi rushes forward, pushing him back and sitting beside him. “You look like hell,” he says and Mimi huffs, laughing.

“Well you try sleeping on one of those hard chairs all night, see how you look in the morning. Besides, you don't look so hot yourself, you know.”

“Pfft,” He winces again, gritting his teeth. “You stayed all night?”

Mimi looks down and then back up again. “Course I did, stupid. Like I could leave without seeing you. You really had us all worried.”

Taichi reaches out, his hand curling to the side of her cheek, completely missing its intended target and instead walloping her in the face, fingers nearly poking her in the eyeball.

“Ow.”

“Oooh, I'm sorry, so sorry, Mimi.” She takes his outstretched hand before he hurts himself, holding it tightly between her own.

“Stay still before you hurt yourself.”

Taichi makes a humming noise. His eyes slowly sliding shut. Mimi waits a few beats as his breathing evens out and then slowly starts to slide her way off the bed.

“Stay with me?”

Mimi turns back around. “You need to rest.”

Taichi pats the space beside him. “I will if you stay with me. Please?” He looks about to try and get back up again.

“Ah,” she puts a steadying hand on his arm. “I'll stay. Okay? Only if you promise to get some sleep though.”

He hums again. “You too.” Mimi slides down next to him, being careful not to jostle his leg or any of him really. “Dad says you were out like a light.”

“He did?”

“Yup, snore like a trooper too.”

Mimi gasps, horror stricken. “He didn't?”

Taichi snickers. “No,” his voice starts to get quieter as the medication pulls him back under. “'says you're the prettiest sleeper after my mother.”

 

-

 

A couple of days later and Mimi's visiting Taichi after his second operation. As she approaches his room, she can hear voices shouting from inside. She slides open the door to find a nurse pushing Taichi back down against the mattress, he looks angry, his face red and splotchy as he tries to sit himself up again. There's a doctor at his side, his parents at his other, Yuuko's mouth hidden behind her hand as Susumu's jaw tightens listening to whatever the doctor is saying.

“Mr Yagami, your anger and sharp movements aren't helping,” pleads the nurse.

Mimi closes the door and waits patiently outside for the staff and his parents to finish speaking. Eavesdropping isn't going to do her any favours, but at the same time she doesn't want to just leave him.

Susumu comes out first, rubbing his hand against his forehead and smiling with relief when he spots Mimi. “A sight for sore eyes.”

“Is everything okay?” As far as she's been aware, this last operation should have gone smoothly and helped Taichi's leg towards healing.

Susumu rubs his hand along his jaw. He looks tired. He and Yuuko being an almost constant at Taichi's bedside. “Because it's a compound fracture, they've had to put off the last operation. They're concerned he's picked up an infection and they want to open it back up and flush everything clean again. Once that's sorted, they're talking about placing a metal screw into his leg, to pin the bones in the right place for healing.” He shakes his head. “The doctors are better at explaining everything.”

Mimi nods. She feels like she's lost her voice. She knows it's too early to hope, but just when everything had seemed to be on track again. “He's going to be okay though?”

Susumu turns away, as if he can see through the door to his wife and son, talking. “I think he could use a good friend right now, Mimi.”

Yuuko comes out of the room and smiles sadly at them. “He won't be much conversation I'm afraid.” She looks at her husband. “He's just jostled his leg again. They've given him some more pain medication to take the sting away. I'm hoping it might knock him out again before he causes further damage.”

“Can I?” Mimi asks, pointing towards Taichi's direction.

“Of course,” Yuuko says. “He's just a little spiky.”

Mimi nods, pushing the door open carefully and finding Taichi with his back towards her. At least as much as he can be with his leg pinned with wires to the ceiling.

“I suppose they've told you.” he says, his voice coming out rough, worn through, like he's tired of fighting.

“About the infection?”

At that Taichi laughs, the sound coughing bitter out of him. “That's just the start of it.” He twists to face her, gritting his teeth against the movement, his eyes sharp and filled with an anger the likes of which Mimi's never seen on him. “The doctor says,” he hiccups, tries again. “The doctor _recommends_ I don't play again.”

Mimi takes a step closer. “What?”

“It'll be months, maybe longer before I'm even able to walk, Mimi.” His hands are fists at his side, curled up, white and angry. “There might be muscle loss because of the infection. They're concerned about further infections, further damage in the long run.” His words are getting louder, his face red and swollen. He thumps the bed and then cries out when it moves his whole body along with it.

Mimi rushes over to his side, curling her arms around his upper body. “You're going to hurt yourself. Stop it!”

“What's the point?”

Mimi shakes her head. “Taichi,” he interrupts her.

“They were going to accept me.” His voice is low, all of the life torn out of it. Mimi leans back to look at him. “The scouts. To play professionally. I'd got a place at F.C. Tokyo. I haven't even told anyone yet.” He laughs again, the sound coming out twisted and rotten. He looks at her then, broken, tears in his eyes as Mimi finds her own mirroring trail running down her face as she holds him. “What do I do now, Mimi?”

Mimi places a soft kiss to his mouth, curving her hand across his cheek as she says the only thing she knows he has to do. “Get better.”

He huffs out another laugh as she wipes away his tears with her fingers. The sound less bitter, less full of anger and just full of the hurt and pain that he's feeling. “Simple,” he says.

“We get over this one step at a time. You hear me? First you get better, you get out of here and then, we face the outcome.”

Taichi takes a hold of her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. “Thank you, Mimi. I don't know what I'd do-”

The door to his room slides open, startling the both of them as Junko stares at the pair of them. “Am I interrupting?”

“Course not.” Mimi smiles and places Taichi's hand back down carefully on his bed. “You'll be fine. You hear me? I'll come back later.” She gives his hand one last squeeze and then nods her head carefully towards Junko. She has a pile of magazines in her hand, a carton of grapes in the other. “He's not supposed to eat anything until after his operation.”

“I know, now.” Junko says, fingers tightening on the plastic. Her eyes are sharp before she takes a deep breath and then says, “thank you.”

Mimi pauses, nodding. “Look after him.”

 

-

 

“Okay, your six o'clock.” Taichi says. Mimi twirls around on her bar stool, going full 360 as she comes back to face Taichi.

“You've got to be kidding. I can do better than that, can't I?” Taichi takes a sip of his drink as Mimi continues with her outrage. “He looks like he's fresh from nursery. Is it too much to ask for a date that's around my own age at least?”

“Sorry, sorry.” He holds his hands up. “I thought that's what you were going for these days. The younger model?”

“When are you going to stop bringing up my disastrous last date?” She pouts at him and Taichi beams back at her, not sorry in the slightest.

“As soon as we find you someone more suitable.” He picks up his bottle again and then slams it back down. “Oooh, my three o'clock. Now he has potential.” Mimi looks covertly, raising an eyebrow at a guy who could quite possibly have something about him. “Well?” Taichi pokes his elbow into her. “Do you want me to act casual and just leave you?”

Mimi stirs her drink with her straw. “Do you have to?”

“Well unless this guy's up for a three way, I think he might have an issue.”

“Taichi,” she scolds him.

“Sorry. Sorry.” The second time he's apologising in just as many minutes. “Not your type, exactly?” Mimi shakes her head. The guy she really wants to spend the night with is already sitting next to her. “Ok, so we're having honesty hour?” He leans back, careful to not tip too far back in order to stay sitting on his stool. “Mimi Tachikawa, tell me of your woes.”

Mimi, on queue, pours her heart out to him. “I didn't think I'd ever have to do this again. It's not easy.” She could be talking about dating or she could be talking about having Taichi sit next to her, the two of them acting like friends again when Mimi knows she wants so much more from him.

“Mimi,” he puts his drink down. “I can tell you that right now more than half of the men in this bar would kill to be with you. Me included.”

She opens her mouth to respond and then closes it again just as fast. Taichi rolls his eyes. “Surely it's not too soon to be joking about that?”

Mimi stretches her lips into a smile. Feeling like she's been thumped in the stomach. She's trying. “You've got it easy.” she counters, fluffing up her hair. “Engaged and all sorted.”

“Ah,” Taichi tries to grab the barman's attention as Mimi whips her head around to face him.

“What do you mean, ah?”

“All is not plain sailing in my love life either.”

She waves the barman down and Taichi gives him his order. He takes a swig of his drink and then swipes his hair away from his eyes. “Carolina's not exactly happy.”

“Oh?” The air around them feels like you could hear a pin drop.

Taichi sighs at her. “There's been no luck on the job front and she's missing her friends and family.”

“Surely it's the same for you back in Italy?”

“Mmm,” he bites his lip. “I stayed for other reasons though. At the time,” he pauses, seemingly debating on saying something before deciding against it, “it doesn't matter now.”

“So,” she hesitates, “will you have to leave then?” Koushiro had told her not to do this. Not to get in between them. Look at her now, doing exactly what she had promised she wouldn't.

“I hope not.”

Mimi opens her mouth, closes it again and then thinks, ah hell, why not? She's lost Taichi once already, at least this way he's still in her life and close to her. “Don't.” She tells him. Taichi turns to look at her, eyes quiet, searching, as Mimi loses her cool and blurts out, “we'd all miss you.”

Idiot, she thinks. Mimi Tachikawa, you are an idiot.

Taichi nods, lifting his drink toward her. “Believe me, I'm trying.”

 

-

 

“He's asleep?” Junko asks, as she walks into the room where Mimi's keeping watch; reading her book as Taichi's been asleep for the last hour. Mimi nods silently, watching as Junko brings a fresh vase of flowers, pushing Mimi's contribution; a small chamomile plant, its scent supposed to be relaxing for both mind and body, out of the way in order to bring her flowers forward.

“They're lovely,” Mimi tries, whispering quietly.

Junko nods sternly. “I'm sure Taichi will appreciate their colour.” Mimi smiles, she's sure Taichi wouldn't, but she bites her tongue from saying so. She's no reason to be nasty.

“How is he doing today?” Junko asks.

Mimi puts her book down. “Really well. They've dropped his pain meds and he's been asleep for a while now, but the pain hasn't woke him.”

Mimi's about to say more when, “I can't do this.” Junko breathes through her nose. “Is there something going on between you?”

Mimi sucks in air between her teeth. “What? Sorry?”

Junko turns around, arms held tight across her body stiffly. “Am I being silly? Am I wasting my time with him? Is there something between the two of you?”

For a heartbeat, Mimi does nothing but stare at her. “No,” she says. “No,” more insistent this time. “I care for Taichi, of course I do.” Junko stares at her. “I have a boyfriend, Junko.”

“That doesn't have to mean anything.” Fair point, Mimi thinks. She doesn't suppose the rules do count when you're accusing somebody of having it off with your boyfriend. She stands up, prepared to leave.

“There's nothing going on, honestly” she says, gathering her book up, her hand on the door before she looks back at Junko. “For what it's worth, Taichi wouldn't do that to you.” Junko looks taken aback, her eyes wide, refusing to look at Mimi. Mimi pulls herself straight, refusing to feel cowed when she hasn't done anything. “He needs his friends around him right now. A support system.”

She shuts the door behind her, being careful not to slam it and wake Taichi. She's shaking. She's got a boyfriend, she repeats to herself.

Then why is Taichi the only one who's been on her mind for the past month or so? Deep down, she knows, it's not just because of his injury.

 

-

 

The hospital cafeteria actually serves half decent food. The coffee's isn't great, sort of watery, but, as experience those first few worrying nights showed her, decent enough in a pinch to keep you awake when it needs to. Koushiro's sat alone in one corner, nursing what looks like a tea, he's never really been one for coffee, no doubt cold if his zoned out look is anything to go by.

Mimi approaches him. “Can I have this seat?”

Koushiro blinks back to alert in front of her, using his foot to push out the chair Mimi is holding on to. “Sure.”

Mimi takes a seat. “Is everything okay?” She's ashamed to admit that she's avoided the hospital for the last few days, Junko's harsh words working through her head at every available opportunity. She's kept in touch with how he's doing of course, messaging Sora, Hikari and even Yuuko Yagami, who, over these last few weeks, she's grown quite close to.

“Taichi's fine,” Koushiro says, waving his hand at Mimi. “He's going to kill me.” His eyes are wide, strained, his jaw tense as he waits for Mimi to say something to him.

“Okay,” she says the word slowly, “and why, exactly, would that be?”

“I kissed Hikari.”

It's Mimi's turn for her mouth to drop open. “You did what?”

“Shush,” Koushiro darts his eyes around the cafe as if Taichi or Susumu Yagami might overhear them. Mimi grins, delighted, even as Koushiro freaks out in front of her. Hikari Yagami is, in many ways, nothing like her brother. She's sweet and nurturing, caring to a fault and an absolute sweetheart.

“When did this happen? How?” She runs a hand through her hair. “Tell me everything.” It's about time for some good news to happen in their small family.

Koushiro starts counting down on his fingers. “Last night. She actually kissed me.” His face colours then, turning even brighter as Mimi squeals at him. “I think I really like her.”

“And I'm assuming with the kissing that she likes you?”

Koushiro nods and Mimi wonders why her own love life can't be this simple? Koushiro sags then against the table. His voice muffled as he speaks against the plastic. “You have no idea how good it is to be able to tell someone. Just don't tell Taichi. Or Susumu. Or Yamato, come to think of it.”

Mimi ruffles his hair and steals a sip of his tea while he's not looking. “My lips are sealed, I promise.”

 

-

 

At 9am, Mimi receives a text from Sora asking her if she can come over. Probably something to do with the wedding, she thinks, replying back that she'll be right over. At 9:15, her phone starts buzzing, a blubbering mess of a best friend on the other end. When she arrives at the apartment, Sora's in a state. Sat in the middle of her bed, a duvet wrapped around her shoulders, box of tissues by her side and crumpled ones littering a trail from the floor to her mattress. Mimi picks her way across the room, curling her arm around Sora's shoulders.

“Sora,” she says, “what's going on?” She's never seen her friend in this state. Even drunk or sick, there's never been this many tears. What the hell has happened?

Sora looks up at her and then buries her head in her hands. “I was with some girls from work,” she starts, “we went out for the night and we were drinking and talking,” Mimi nods. “They were going on about wild oats or seeds or something...” she throws one hand out, a bitter laugh escaping her throat. “And they were asking me and, oh god, I've made such a huge mistake.”

Mimi grabs another tissue and Sora crumples it up in her fist. “Sora, you're not making any sense.” She strokes back the hair from Sora's face, her friend's eyes red and watery.

“I brought him home.”

Mimi feels her eyes widen, blinking back at Sora in shock. Is she saying what she thinks she's saying?

“Who?”

“Kyou.”

“I don't-” She breathes. “Sora...”

“I know, alright, I know.” Her fist rises to her mouth, fingers pressing against her lips. “But nothing happened.”

“It didn't?” She doesn't mean to sound shocked. And if anyone else was telling her this...

“No, I mean if anything it made me realise.” She wipes her hand across the back of her eyes. “He was getting undressed and then he was in the bed and... I didn't want him in there. You know? He wasn't, he isn't Yamato. I don't even know why I did it.”

“Why did you do it?” She grabs another tissue and dabs at Sora's face. “This isn't like you.”

“I know,” Sora shouts. “I'm so stupid-”

Mimi leans back. “Sora, anyone with any sense would kill to have what you and Yamato have.”

“I know it's silly but I was flattered and drunk and oh god!” She collapses into her hands again. Mimi makes consoling shushing noises and strokes the top of her head.

After a couple of minutes, she asks the inevitable. “Does Yamato know?” If he doesn't they can maybe work damage control. She can call Takeru, get him to distract his brother for an hour or so whilst she sorts out Sora.

Sora looks up at her and nods. “I told him.”

“Okay,” Mimi allows the information to sink in. The fact that he's not here right now and Sora's called her in floods of tears, probably means that conversation went about as well as expected.

“He just walked out, Mimi. He won't even answer my calls.”

Mimi sits back and gathers her wits about her. First things first, she needs to sort out Sora. “Well let's get you cleaned up first. Go and have a shower and I'll make you a tea. Yamato will be back. He probably just needs some time to cool off. You know how hot headed he can be.” Sora nods at her slowly. “I'll clean up this mess, okay. You don't need to worry about anything.”

 

-

 

“Hikari says Sora's finally sleeping.” Taichi says, looking down at his phone, frowning.

After trying numerous times to call Yamato and getting no answer, phoning Takeru and being told he had absolutely no clue and hadn't heard from his brother, Mimi had done the next best thing she could think of and dragged Taichi in to help her.

“I should have known that Kyou was going to cause trouble when he wouldn't stop asking about her.” Mimi seethes to herself. “I should have known there was something weird about it. I thought maybe he just hero worshipped her. Wanting to get into her clothing line, not her knickers.”

“You can't blame yourself.” Taichi looks up from his phone. “I've narrowed it down to about five places I think he'll feel comfortable enough in to get legless.”

Mimi's keeping up a light pace to keep up with him. “You really think he's gone out to get drunk?”

“His wife of nine years and other half of forever, just told him she brought another man home. I'd think by now he's probably paralytic.”

“Good point,” says Mimi. “You really think he might be here?”

Taichi pushes though the door, holding it open for Mimi to step inside in front of him. “He brought me here once, many moons ago. Said it was the best place to get over heartbreak.”

Mimi feels herself freeze in place, clearing her throat before saying, “And was it?”

Taichi grins at her. “You know I got so drunk, I honestly don't remember.”

The bar's all low lit, a stark contrast to the bright colours of outside and it takes Mimi a second to adjust to the dimness. A smooth, sleek wooden bar curving around the back of the room of which padded, tall chairs surround it. It's quiet, but then it is still early afternoon. Mimi pours her gaze over the occupants of the all-day bar. People who look like they drink for a living, students and people who look like they gave up hope a long, long time ago. Just off from the bar, she spots him. “Yamato!”

Taichi squares his shoulders and then strides forward. “What did I tell you?” The pair of them walk over, a collection of empty glasses and bottles surrounding their friend already. “Yamato, it's time to come home now.”

Their friend slams back into his chair and nearly falls off of it in the process. Mimi reaches out to catch him, shoving him back against the table. “Can't leave,” he says, his voice a slur. “N'where to go to.” Mimi sighs and wonders if between the two of them they could carry him outside and bundle him in to a taxi. She has a suspicious feeling that Yamato won't walk out of here all too willingly.

“Come on, mate.” Taichi tries, placing one arm around Yamato's shoulders and getting a shove in return, none too gently.

“Pull up a seat,” Yamato says. “Put it on my tab, the wife's paying.” He laughs then, the sound coming out of him like a half sob, broken.

“Yamato,” Mimi says, pulling a chair up and being careful not to place her arms or anything on the sticky table. “Sora's a mess and she needs you.”

Yamato looks at her. His eyes are clouded over, blue swirls of drunken pain that Mimi knows in the past few months since her break up, she's been no stranger to it. “This isn't you.” She curls her fingers over his hand and gives him a squeeze, hoping that at least some of her words are getting through to him.

“I'll go and settle the bill.” Taichi says over the top of his head. “Will you be alright?”

Mimi nods as Yamato sucks in his mouth and rubs his nose with his free fist. “Nothing happened,” she tries. Knowing that this really is a conversation to be between the two of them. “Sora loves you.”

“I know,” Yamato says. “I just don't understand why she'd...” he bites off the sentence, curling his hand into a fist and then letting it out flat again.

“Maybe you should talk to her.” Mimi counters, getting to her feet and holding out a hand to help him. Yamato takes it, wobbling on his feet as he crashes into the table, threatening to send glasses and bottles all over. “Whoa, careful there,” Mimi holds out her arms to steady him as Yamato half falls, half surges himself towards her. Next thing she knows, he's got one arm around her, his mouth on her own as she instinctively steps back, before Yamato is just as quickly ripped away from her.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?” Taichi roars. Yamato swings away from her, Taichi's fist rushing past her in a blur as it collides with Yamato's face, his nose cracking, blood gushing; as Mimi screams and Yamato yells, falling once again to the floor in front of her.

Taichi starts to shake out his fist. “Fuck!”

Mimi takes one look at him and throws her own arm out to push him away from them, Taichi staggering backwards. “What in the hell are you doing?” She kneels on the floor, helping a much more sober Yamato to get to his feet as he curls his hands around his nose, blood streaming between his fingers.

“What am I doing?” Taichi yells at her. Everyone's staring at them now, the barman looking close to calling someone in to deal with them. “We're, uh, leaving,” Taichi calls out to him. “Um, sorry about the mess.” He waves over at the barman, before grabbing the underneath of Yamato's arm, Mimi struggling to support him from underneath the other side of him.

Once outside, the cool afternoon air hits all three of them, bringing about a bout of clarity to the last few minutes. Taichi's frowning, curling his fingers back and forth and wincing. Mimi's beginning to feel the initial shock of the moment leave her and now she's just spitting with anger.

“You idiot,” she says.

“I think you broke my nose.” Yamato gurgles thickly.

“Like hell,” Taichi barks back.

Mimi glares at Taichi who throws her back a look as if to say, what else do you think I would do in that situation? “Let me see,” Taichi says reluctantly, half propping his friend up and half peeling back Yamato's fingers. “Sorry, look it was a split second thought. I just reacted.”

He's looking at Yamato but his words are meant for Mimi. She sighs, rolling her eyes. She supposes, reluctantly, and she won't ever admit it to him, but the movement was kind of a gallant gesture. Even so, it was still completely idiotic. “We need something to stem the bleeding.”

Yamato seems to remember himself then, face colouring. “God, Mimi. I am so, so sorry. I really shouldn't have... I'd never.”

Taichi scoffs and Mimi eyeballs him to shut the hell up before fisticuffs occur again.

“Let's just get you back to Sora.”

How the hell is she supposed to explain this one?

 

-

 

“I can do it, Hikari. Watch me.”

“You move one more inch and I'm calling our Mother!”

Mimi walks in to an argument where Taichi's half rolled, half shoved his way to the side of his bed, face muscles tense with pain already. Hikari hovering tentatively beside him and Koushiro staring wide eyed at the pair of them.

“And what's going on here?”

Hikari throws her fists on to her hips and blows a gust of air out to push the stray hairs away from her face. “Taichi _thinks_ he's ready to try and walk again.”

“I thought that was weeks away?” Mimi asks, directing her voice to the pair of Yagami's, as Koushiro looks like he doesn't quite know who to throw his loyalty to.

“It is,” says Hikari as Taichi tries to talk over her, “Not if I start working on improving the issue.” At that he gestures towards his leg like it's not even a part of his body.

Ah, so today is clearly not a good day.

Hikari sighs and Koushiro steps up behind her. The younger Yagami saying, “Can you please try and talk some sense into him? He might listen to you.”

Mimi crosses her arms over her chest, stares at Taichi and directs her next words to Hikari and Koushiro. “Why don't you two go and get a drink, leave me alone with this idiot.”

“Hey,” Taichi bites back, but there's no heat in the words, if anything he seems a little relieved, crashing his head back against his pillow.

Koushiro steers Hikari outside, one arm casually thrown over her shoulder, the door closing behind them to leave Mimi to face down Taichi.

“So what's this all about?” Mimi asks, walking over to help Taichi settle back in the middle of his bed, safely away from falling off of the side of it.

“I'm just so sick of being here. Being stuck here. Why can't I just walk out of here already?”

Mimi fluffs his pillow and smooths his hair back against his head. “You know why. Your leg needs to rest, Taichi.”

“What do you think it's been doing for the past few weeks? I'm sick of being bedridden.”

She keeps her voice soft. “I know you are.” He's looking so much healthier now, less tired each day, more strength in his voice when he speaks to people. “You know if you rush things though, it'll only end up doing more damage.”

He flexes his fingers, looking away to stare at the wall. “I just want to get started.” They've been talking about physiotherapy, building up the muscle loss in his leg and how in months from now he could maybe be walking.

“I know, but if you go much faster you're going to give your sister a coronary. Baby steps. You'll get where you need to. I know you.”

Taichi sniffs and sulkily replies, “Yes, nurse Mimi,” and then changes the subject. “Anyway, what's going on between my sister and Koushiro?”

Mimi blinks. “What do you mean?”

“Mimi!”

“You've noticed then?”

He rolls his eyes. “I'm bedridden, Mimi, not blind and deaf, or stupid.”

“Well,” she drags the word out, smiling when he jokingly pushes at her. “You want my honest opinion?” Taichi nods. “I think she's really good for him and your sister has picked one of the good ones. One of the best actually.”

He wrinkles his nose. “I'm not sure what I think about Koushiro dating my sister.”

“Well I don't think you have much of a say in it, really.”

“I don't suppose I do, huh?” He shakes his head. “But it'll still be fun to spend some time winding up Koushiro.”

 

-

 

Hikari is becoming a permanent fixture in Todai, months before she's even due to start there. Taichi's been home for the past few months now and Mimi's been spending more time over in what's known as the boys apartment. There's touches of Hikari's influence in their shared apartment, a nicer smell, a tidier look to the communal area, a sort of girl sheen over everything.

“It's disgusting,” Taichi tells her, he's currently sitting on the sofa but Mimi can tell that he's dying to get up and wobble over to her. His crutches are across the way, Hikari having moved them out of his reach so that he 'actually rests for once' and this way, Mimi figures, he has no ability to escape and go on a walkabout freely. Though she also wouldn't put it past him to crawl his way over to retrieve them. “I love my sister, Mimi,” he tells her, hand on his chest to show how much he means it, “but I do not need to see or hear noises of that nature coming out of her.”

Mimi's eyes widen and she twists up her mouth, just as Hikari is crossing behind them to get herself a glass of water. “He's talking about kissing, Mimi. He's just disappointed that he's not the one getting any action.”

Mimi laughs and then asks, “Wait, what about Junko?”

Hikari winces and stage whispers, “She dumped him.”

“It was mutual,” Taichi shouts back at her, and then turns to Mimi. “Can we please get out of here?”

Twenty minutes later and they're outside, just the two of them. Taichi walking surprisingly well with the help of his crutches. “You'll let me know if you get tired?” Mimi asks him.

Taichi looks about to bite back something testy before he stops himself. It's a part of his therapy, to not push himself too far. To let people help him and not hide any of the pain that he's feeling. “Ten more minutes,” he says, gritting his teeth and looking like he's enjoying the cool breeze on his face.

Five minutes later they reach a bench and take a rest on it, Taichi manoeuvring his crutches out of the way and to the side of him. He looks tired, Mimi thinks, not just in a physical way, but mentally. He's been talking with the university, his teachers; trying to work out a plan of how he wants to continue his future.

Mimi bites her lip. She's been waiting to talk to him about what she's discovered since she, well, discovered it. “I think I've found a solution.”

Taichi snorts and leans back, head tipped up to the skyline. “Have the leg amputated?”

“Taichi,” her voice comes out hurt and shocked. They both know at one point that had been a serious possibility.

“Sorry,” Taichi waves his words away. “Survivalist humour.” He brings himself back around to look at her. “So, your solution?”

“We were talking the other day about possible career choices?” Taichi nods. “Have you thought about physiotherapy?”

Taichi pulls himself up, a thousand thoughts crossing his face, eyes narrowing. “As in me, doing it?”

Mimi nods. “You've been through it yourself, so you would know exactly what your clients are going through. You're a good motivator.” Taichi looks conflicted. “You know when you hit that wall?” He nods. “You refused to give up or give in. I know you would do well helping others in a similar situation.”

He leans forward, fingers prodding at the skin of his knee. “I know I can't play any more, at least never professionally, but therapy?”

“It's not too far away from sports, just another direction. You're already taking sports science.” Mimi thinks about placing her hand over his own, stopping his fingers from kneading at the sore muscle. “You made that plan for yourself, Taichi. Even your own therapist thought it was solid and well thought out. She said so.”

“You sound surprised?” He grins at her.

Mimi takes a deep breath. She doesn't want the moment to turn to humour, she wants to keep it serious. “I really think you'd be good at this.”

“Huh?”

Here's the kicker. “You'd have to stay a year behind of course, but Kou will still be here. I'll still be here too.”

Taichi pulls a face. “Ugh.”

“Hey!” she laughs, shoving at him lightly. “Promise me you'll at least think about it?”

He kicks at the ground with his healthy foot. “I've already sort of discussed it.”

It's Mimi's turn to be taken by surprise, her pulse racing. “You have?” Please don't say I've ruled it out, she thinks, please don't say it.

“There's a few options open to me, but it's definitely a route I'm looking at pursuing.”

Mimi takes in a gulp of air, swinging her arms around Taichi before he has a chance to prepare for her. He makes a winded sound and then hisses, Mimi pushing herself backwards as she apologises, flapping her hands around the area his leg is resting. “Sorry. Sorry.”

Taichi though, is laughing. “Never apologise for being yourself, Mimi.” He looks at her then, face turning serious, fixing Mimi with a look that says he really means what he's saying. “Thank you.”

 

-

 

“Wait for it,” Taichi's voice sounds right beside her ear, his hands covering her eyes in order to keep her from peeking. Hikari's wedding is in a week and Mimi can't even begin to think of what Taichi has thought of to surprise her.

“I swear, Taichi. If you've brought me to the dead end of nowhere in order to-- oh!” he lets go and Mimi's breath catches in the back of her throat. “What? Where?”

“Well?” He's practically bouncing on his feet. “What do you think?”

He's brought her to an empty building. It's an empty store to be exact, or at least what used to be one. Gorgeous sash windows at the back covered in a naturally growing ivy. The way that they've grown and climbed causing a beautiful green glow to colour the room, a stream of natural light coming through the empty cracks and crevices.

“I don't understand,” she says, whirling around to face him.

Taichi grins and starts walking around her, arms speaking a vision as he explains it all to her. “I was thinking your till could be back here against the window. Shelves lining along the wall. I don't know, maybe window boxes or some form of steps. That'd look cool, right? It's the type of thing I've seen on pinterest.” Mimi stands watching him with her mouth wide open. At that, Taichi has the slight look of panic. “Granted, it'll need some work, but I think it's manageable.”

“You mean? This? Me?” Taichi nods, dangling a pair of keys in front of her. “But-”

“Ah!” Taichi holds his finger up. “Take a look around the place. There's an apartment upstairs and it's within your budget. I've done my research. This could be the place you've always dreamed of, Mimi.”

“What?” She knows she's getting repetitive but, “I don't-” She wishes she could get her mouth to form full, coherent sentences. “How did you find it?”

Taichi throws her an affable shrug. “We've been apartment hunting, Carolina and I-” of course - “and this was one of the places I fell a little bit in love with.” He stops then. “It's not suitable for us, but I figured it has potential.” Mimi blinks, she can't stop grinning. “A big, open space. A little bit of work, but I honestly think you could convert it into the shop you've always dreamed of owning.”

She turns around, open mouthed, feeling like her whole world has spun out from under her. It _is_ perfect, Taichi's right. She's already fallen head over heels with the building, the woodwork, the possibilities she's already building up in her mind. But...

“I couldn't though, my job, my apartment.”

“Quit it and sell it. Put the deposit down on this place and live like you want to.”

“It's not as easy as-” she trails off.

“I know that, Mimi. Wasn't it you who once said to me, baby steps? You'll get where you need to?”

“You remember that?” Mimi asks him.

“Of course I do.” He tucks his hands in to his pockets. “At that moment in my life, I don't think anyone else could have talked the sense back into me.”

Mimi's touched, she honestly is. “It's beautiful,” she's wide eyed, spinning around, she honestly can't take in enough of it.

Taichi holds the keys out, waiting for her to decide her future.

She hesitates, thinking of everything that's changed over the past month now and how quickly. How Michael's left and Taichi is back in her life again. How in this moment she honestly couldn't be happier. _Baby steps,_ she thinks. _Take back control of my future. This is it._ She takes the keys out of his hand, her fingers brushing against his palm as she yells in surprise and then wraps her arms tightly around his shoulders. She leans back, “You'll help me?”

“Ah.”

Mimi drops her arms and takes a step back. “I know it's a big thing to ask, but-”

“No. No.” He rubs a hand through his hair. “I'd love to help you, but after Hikari's wedding, I'm afraid I won't be here.”

Mimi feels the wind knock out of her, like somebody's thrown her a punch to her gut.

“You're leaving?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Carolina and I have talked about it. A lot. We decided it best to go back. Japan just isn't-”

“The right place for her?” she adds numbly. He nods. Mimi opens her mouth. She won't just let this happen. Not this time. “But this is your home, your family.”

“Carolina's my family now.”

She never thought she'd be doing this, but here goes. “I don't want you to leave again.”

Taichi closes the distance between them. “Things have been... It's not been easy here, in Japan. She thinks we've been growing distant. She thinks a new start is the best plan for our future. If we want to make it work.”

Her voice is small when she asks him, “Is that what you want though?”

“I,” he pauses for a beat, “I don't know.” He laughs then, the sound ripping his head back to expose the long line of his throat. “I shouldn't be telling you this.”

Mimi blurts the truth out before she can give herself a chance to second guess it. “I've never stopped loving you.”

Taichi freezes on the spot. One, five, ten seconds going past without either of them saying anything. Before, “What?

Mimi swallows. She's done it now, right? She may as well dig herself in further. “Since before, since that day. I've never once not regretted what could have been our future.”

Taichi's face twists. His arm flying out as he asks, “But Michael?”

“You left me, Taichi.”

“No. No.” He paces up and down, Mimi hovering just on the edge, afraid to stop him as he continues: “You chose him. You chose Michael. We were just, we-”

Mimi can feel her face tearing up. “You never even asked me.” She covers her mouth with her hands, shaking. “I didn't choose him. I told him to go, to leave me, and you were the one who made the decision. You were the one to leave. I tried to find you.” She feels her courage bolster. “ _You_ were the one who chose to stop fighting.” She lets out a sob as Taichi stares at her blankly.

“I can't believe this.” he mutters. “I'm _engaged,_ Mimi.” His voice is on the verge of shrieking.

“I know,” she howls. “Do you not think I know that?”

Taichi throws his hands up in the air. “I can't.”Mimi feels her face wobble. “I'm sorry. I can't do this.” With that he hands her the keys to the building, walking back out of her life once again; repeating history.

 

-

 

Mimi ends the call on her phone, leaning back against the wall, expecting to feel sick or empty or something. Surprisingly, she feels nothing. Michael had asked her why, of course, and she'd been honest with herself, it just wasn't working. When it really came down to it, she figured that long distance relationships could work, but this one had run its course a long time ago, it was just that neither of them had been able to admit it.

Her phone rings again and Mimi sighs, hoping that Michael isn't about to start arguing or worse, begging her to think twice about ending things with him. Surprisingly, it's Sora.

“Hello?” There's laughter then, the sound of Yamato's voice murmuring in the background. “Sora?”

“Sorry.” More laughter and then: “Mimi, what are you doing this evening?” Mimi bites her lip, she'd been planning to pack up her belongings. Though considering she's now ended things with Michael, her spring break is left wide open.

“Nothing,” she says. Sora giggles. Actually giggles. “Um, should I leave the pair of you to... whatever?”

“No. No, sorry. How would you like to come to our engagement and graduation party?”

Mimi presses the phone closer to her ear. “Wait, what? Did I hear that right? Are you two?”

Yamato's voice shouts down the phone at her, “I asked her to marry me and she said yes!” Sora's laughing and Yamato's saying something in the background again, as Mimi joins in with the pair of them.

“So tonight?” Sora says, “We're starting early, seven-ish?”

“I'll be there,” Mimi answers, cutting the call off and figuring she'll tell Sora her own big news later. There's no sense to put a downer on the evening of their engagement.

 

-

 

The night air's just beginning to cool, the slight breeze tickling the sweaty, damp strands of her hair and lifting them off of her forehead to dance. The metal railings they're parked up against are growing warm behind her back, Taichi's arm pressed tight against hers, hot and like a brand against her skin, marking her. Her friend is always running hot like an oven, she'd be grateful if she wasn't so hot and dizzy herself. Not that she can bring herself to move away from him. That'd require effort and Mimi definitely isn't up for effort in this moment. The wine and the various shots have seen to that one.

Taichi sighs, tucking her head beneath his chin, his warm breath smelling of the beer he's been drinking. Mimi allows herself to fall into him. He's going to go on one of his drunken tirades, she can sense it. “So Hikari's dating Koushiro.”

“Uh huh.”

“Sora and Yamato are engaged.”

“They sure are.” They've just spent the last several hours together celebrating that point after all. Mimi will have the hangover of all hangovers tomorrow to prove it.

“And I'm here. Stagnant.”

Mimi makes a sound between disbelief and sympathy, or at least she hopes that's what it sounds like, patting his thigh lightly to show her support.

“What about, uh...” Mimi's mind goes blank. “You know what's her face?”

Taichi turns to look at her, one eyebrow raised. “We both know that's going nowhere. Now things in the bedroom department...” Mimi wrinkles her nose at him. “What? I'm just saying there aren't any complaints on that end from either party.”

She strikes out to hit him and sighs and Taichi moves to catch her hand, curling his own around hers and moving so that they're face to face, so that she can count the freckles lining his nose, caught out in the sun from earlier. “Make a promise to me.” he says, suddenly serious, “If we're still young, free and single in ten years time, you'll marry me.”

“Wait, what?” It's the alcohol talking, Mimi's sure of it, but Taichi is grinning at her and Mimi can't help but grin back at him. Infectious, that's the word. Like he's running through her bloodstream.

“Yep. Here's your proposal. Mimi Tachikawa, will you do me the honour of becoming my, if-we're-still-sad-and-lonely-in-ten-years-time wife?”

“Mmmm.” Mimi makes a show of contemplating the decision. “I guess it's not much of a proposal. You're not even down on one knee for a start.”

Taichi huffs at her, dropping her hand as if she's not taking it seriously, and Mimi feels laughter bubbling up her throat, light headed. “Can I think about it?”

He moves to hold both of her hands in his own. “Nope. One time deal, here and only. You miss the boat, Mimi Tachikawa, and some other lucky girl will snap this specimen of a man up.”

Her head feels dizzy, her heart stuck in her throat. “Well then how can I possibly say no?”

“Exactly,” Taichi says. “So, your plans for the spring break?”

“Hmm,” Mimi tilts her head to the side. “Nothing. You?”

“I've been offered a placement in Italy.” Mimi sits up straight, her heart pounding as Taichi stares at her, confusion creasing his eyes in the corners. “You're not going back to New York? Spending the break with Michael?”

Mimi has a million questions of her own and figures the best way to get them answered is to tell Taichi her own news. “Well that would be a little bit weird considering we've broken up.”

Taichi's mouth slips. “But, since when?”

“Oh, about fourteen hours ago now.”

His voice rises. “And you're just now telling me?”

“How long have you known about Italy?”

Taichi opens his mouth to argue back and Mimi blows out her cheeks, furious. Taichi is her best friend. The best part of the last few years of her life, and he's leaving?

“Have you accepted it?” she asks, as Taichi asks, “So you're staying?”

“Yes,” they both answer at the same time and Mimi feels something inside of her crack open.

She's about to ask him to stay, about to ask him to reconsider when Taichi surges forward and kisses her. There's a heartbeat moment, a freeze frame, before Mimi finds herself kissing him back instinctively. His hand curling around the back of her neck as Mimi rises up to meet him. His palm running up the curve of her cheek, his thumb tracing the line of her cheekbone. They're sitting on the cool, scratchy tarmac of the street, leaning in and pressing against each other, her mouth slowly growing numb, the taste of him heavy at the back of her throat as she thinks _this_ , yes, she could do this forever.

“Wow,” Taichi says, leaning back to look at her. “You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that.”

“Or how long I've wanted you to.”

There's a pull, she thinks, a line that feels like they're being drawn towards each other. He leans in and presses a kiss against her temple. She pushes him back, hand against his chest as she teasingly says, “Then why the hell didn't you?”

Taichi holds her face between his hands, leaning in and kissing her, once, twice, three times before he says, “I honestly have no idea.”

“And here's me thinking you once said it'd be like kissing your sister.”

Taichi wrinkles his nose and buries his head in his hands. “Please don't remind me.” He peeks out to look at her between his fingers. “In no way did I ever mean that. I've been in love with you since about ten seconds after I met you. I just had to say something in case once I started kissing you, I couldn't stop myself. You know Junko broke up with me because she knew I was crazy in love with you?”

Mimi rolls her eyes, prying his hands away and leaning in to kiss him. “Good save on the kissing. I didn't know that, but I thought it might have something to do with our friendship. She kind of cornered me one day and ripped into me.” Taichi pulls a horrified face. “In a nice way, she didn't want her feelings to get hurt either.” She winces, grit digging into her knee as she slides forward to meet him. “You know, maybe we should go somewhere a little more comfortable?”

“With a little less clothing?”

Mimi raises an eyebrow at him and then grins. “How about we head to mine, then? No chance of anybody disturbing us, not tonight anyway.” Mimi's already getting to her feet, stretching out a hand to help Taichi up and get moving.

They've wasted enough time, she thinks, as it is.

 

-

 

“You realise, right, that that probably wasn't my best performance?”

Mimi stretches, curling herself around Taichi, his skin slick and warm beneath hers, his arm braced around her shoulders. She tilts her head up to look at him. “What?”

“Last night,” he continues, “I know, I know. How can it possibly get better you're thinking?”

Mimi purses her lips, pushing herself up off his chest, the cover slipping off of her shoulders as Taichi stares blankly. “You're saying you didn't give it your all?” she asks him, well aware of the hold she currently has over him.

Taichi breathes deeply, dragging his gaze up to her own and stuttering, “I, I think what I'm saying is that I might need a bit more practice.” His lips stretch into a vivacious grin and he moves forward to kiss her, sinking his hand into her hair and pulling her down towards him. “No regrets?” he asks and Mimi gives him her answer by climbing over him, settling herself over him to brace his hips.

“Hmm,” she leans forward and down to cover his mouth. “Not a single one that I can think of.”

Taichi holds her off for a second and in retaliation, Mimi leans down to lick a stripe across his neck. He sets his teeth on edge, groaning in a way that makes her stomach muscles vibrate with pleasure. “Hold on,” he groans again, “I have a question.” Mimi stops then, sitting back as Taichi asks, “Come with me to Italy?”

“What?”

“I'm serious. Come with me, for the spring break at least? I'll hold off my flight, we'll rebook, the two of us?”

“I-”

Taichi interrupts her, “I know it's a big thing, but it'll be fun, it'll be romantic. The city of love.”

“That's Paris,” she places a finger over his mouth, shutting him up for once before he's finished. “I was going to say, I can't possibly think of any better way to spend my spring break, idiot.”

 

-

 

Taichi's phone goes off an hour later as the two of them are dozing. He twists around, reaching for his phone and reading the message. “It's from Hikari, she's brought Koushiro home and he's a little under the weather.” He turns to face her. “She kind of needs my help.” Mimi groans. “Right, I'll get back, sort out my roommate and then you and me can sort out the rest of our lives together.”

“That simple?”

“Well, Italy at least.”

“Are you sure you don't think it's a good idea to hibernate here until our friends eventually get worried and start looking?” She stretches out in the bed, tantalisingly pulling the covers down to reveal the bare inches of skin underneath.

“Don't, you temptress.” Taichi's already getting dressed, shoving his top on over his head as he leans in to kiss her cheek, looking torn at having to leave her. “The way I'm figuring it, the sooner I leave, the sooner I can get back here.”

“I suppose you make a fair point, Yagami. Go,” she says, throwing the covers back over her, “hurry up and get your ass back here!”

The door closes a couple of minutes later and Mimi gets up to get showered and dressed herself. Even if it is highly tempting to stay exactly where she is until Taichi can get himself back there.

 

-

Hours later, Mimi's slumped over her bed, still waiting for Taichi to get back to her. He'd sent her a message over an hour ago and apparently Koushiro was a much bigger mess than Hikari had prepared him for. Mimi’s kind of glad she didn’t insist on coming with.

When there's finally a knock at her door, half an hour later, Mimi rushes to open it, swinging the door wide open and preparing to throw herself into Taichi's arms, except it's not Taichi standing on the other side of it.

“Michael?”

Michael stands, case in hand, beaming at her.

“What are you doing here?”

“You said there's no effort between us any more so here I am,” he opens his arms wide, “making an effort.”

“I,” Mimi shakes her head, “That isn't what I meant. This isn't what I wanted.” God! Had she said anything that might have given him that impression?

“Well it didn't sound that way to me.” He sounds pithy now. “I've just spent god knows how many hours on numerous flights trying to get to you.”

Mimi's lips thin. “Well, I never asked you to.”

Michael runs a hand through his hair, the familiar edge of irritation creeping over him, scraping it all back off his face with his fingers. She used to love it when he did that, now it does absolutely nothing for her. “Can I at least come in? Shouldn't we talk about at least?”

She leans against the doorpost, sweeping her arm out to allow him inside. After all, she can't just let him stand on the doorstep. “There's nothing to add to what I said yesterday, but come in. I can't believe you've done this, Michael.” The least she can do is to let him clean up before he gets going. The last few years might no longer mean exactly what she once thought they would, but they still mean something, even if it's now all firmly in the past, behind them.

 

-

 

Mimi's in her room getting changed when her phone buzzes with a message. It's from Taichi, a simple: _You could have just been honest with me._ Followed seconds later with: _Why didn't you tell me?_

Tell him what, she thinks? She sends him a question mark back and after a few minutes with no answer, tries calling him. Nothing. She leaves her room, walking straight into a sopping wet Michael who is wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Chest naked, dripping wet...

No, she thinks, no, you didn't?

“What's the matter?” Michael asks, as Mimi pushes his hands away from her, scrabbling to find her phone and calling Taichi again.

Nothing. No answer. He's ignoring her. The idiot.

“What did you do?” she asks. Michael blinks back at her emptily. “Michael?” Her voice is rising, panic stretching along her throat.

“The guy at the door?” he asks finally.

Mimi nods, not daring to speak until she knows exactly what happened.

“I just told him that we needed some time, to talk,” he shivers, his wet hair dripping onto his shoulders. “I mean we do, don't we? At least I thought we needed to.”

He's completely got the wrong end of the stick. Mimi tries ringing him again. Stupid, she thinks, absolutely stupid. Michael's staring at her, waiting, but Mimi's got no time for him. She runs to the door, pulling it open and staring out at the darkened street ahead, empty, hoping to find Taichi waiting. Where is he? What the hell is he thinking?

She slips a pair of shoes on her feet. Their apartment, she thinks, it's the only place he can be.

She makes it over to Koushiro and Taichi's in record time, banging the solid door as hard as she can until somebody answers.

“Oh my God,” Koushiro opens the door, looking definitely worse for wear, gripping his head as he glares at her for waking him.

“Is he here?”

“What?” Koushiro's eyes screw shut and Mimi starts dialling her phone again. She hasn't got time for this.

“Taichi,” she repeats. “Is he here?”

Koushiro still looks confused, fighting the fog of his hangover. “No, I mean he was earlier. I think he said he was heading to yours. Try calling him.”

“I have,” she says, tears springing to her eyes. It's all she's been doing for the last ten minutes. “I think I've done something incredibly stupid.”

Koushiro pulls her inside, tracing his way through to the kitchen in order to pour himself a large coffee. “Tell me everything while I try Hikari.”

Mimi keeps dialling, hoping against hope that at some point he'll answer.

 

-

 

“You know that guy over there? By the buffet table, pressed suit, pink-ish shirt, which-” Miyako waves a hand - “iffy. It's like a hot pink, not even salmon; I mean this is a wedding, not an all night rave, people.” She waits for Mimi to nod at her. “I think you should have a go at that.”

Mimi looks up, “Hmm. Maybe.”

“Maybe?” Miyako twirls a lock of hair around her finger. She's gone for an up do in the end, hair scraped back in an elaborate chignon, loose tendrils curled prettily around her face. “What the hell is up with you lately?”

“Me?” She looks out towards the dance floor where Koushiro is holding Hikari, her head resting against his shoulder as they slow dance across the room together. They look beautiful, happy.

“Yes, you.” Miyako's head blocks her vision. “This is a happy day, Mimi.”

“I know, Miyako.” she counters.

Miyako snorts. “Then maybe you should tell it to your face.”

Mimi's eyes slide across the way where Taichi is talking with Yamato. Since the day at the shop when she confessed all to him, he's completely avoided her. She's tried, of course, sending him an apology text and trying the next day, and the day after, to call him.

“God, what the hell is up with everybody at this wedding?” Miyako stares at her pointedly. “You cannot tell me that you haven't noticed the weird vibe with Yamato and Sora? And the fact that he's sporting what is clearly someone having thrown a fat one at his face. I've already asked Takeru, he won't tell me anything.”

Mimi doesn't answer and after a few seconds, Miyako throws her hands up. She picks up a champagne flute from the table, knocks it back and declares, “Well I, at least, insist on celebrating!” She storms off in the direction of the guy she'd been eyeing up for Mimi.

Mimi turns back to watching the happy couple. “I thought she'd never leave.” Mimi turns around to find Taichi leaning against the back of her chair. “Will you do me the honour of having this dance with me?”

Mimi knows her mouth is wide open. She takes Taichi's hand silently, allowing him to lead her onto the dance floor and wrap one hand around her waist, the other hand resting lightly along her shoulder. “Before you say anything,” he says, “let me just say you look absolutely beautiful.”

Mimi licks her lips, tears springing to her eyes, a thickness to the back of her throat that stops her from speaking. She catches Carolina off to the side, currently engaged with the delights of Daisuke and Takeru.

“I'm sorry,” she says, allowing Taichi to sway them in time to the music.

“No, I am.” he says, wearing a small smile as he holds onto her tightly. “I should have stayed and listened, back then. I shouldn't have just run off, and I shouldn't have done it the other day either. I just had to do a lot of thinking. You know, ten years ago, we really could have been something.”

Mimi makes a small sound like an animal dying. “I know,” she smiles, keeping up the pretence of being happy.

“Do I wish things could have been a thousand times different?” he asks her. Mimi holds her breath in tightly, closing her eyes against what she knows is coming next. “Of course,” Taichi pauses, “but the reality is I'm marrying Carolina. We set a date, Mimi and I made a promise. We're flying back to Italy tomorrow.” He swallows, spins her around and then pulls her back in close. “You deserve somebody amazing, Mimi. You know, I never did like Michael.” She laughs then, the sound turning into a sob as he pulls her in quietly, her head resting against his shoulder, tears wetting the shoulder of his suit.

They spend the rest of the dance like that, anyone watching them thinking it's just two good friends saying goodbye one last time before Taichi leaves tomorrow.

He presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth when the song ends, his fingers trailing against the palm of her hand as he turns around and walks away.

One last time, she thinks. At least this time she got the chance to give it her all at least.

 

-

 

“Oh no,” Mimi says dramatically, pressing her phone tightly against the side of her ear. She mouths sorry to the man sitting across from her. Aki, twenty eight according to his profile, but clearly at least five years older. Sora laughs on the other end of the phone and Mimi winces, hissing out air between her teeth. “Listen, no, it's fine.” She throws a sympathetic look to Aki and pushes her way up to standing, making a show of gathering her belongings so that there's no awkward pause in between the end of the call and her leaving.

“I'm so sorry about this,” she says, hand covering the mouthpiece, “but it's an emergency and I've got to go.”

Aki nods dumbfounded. “Well, uh, maybe you can call me?”

Mimi presses her lips to her teeth. “Mmm,” non-committal, that's what Miyako had suggested. 'You don't want no crazy calling you at a quarter to three on a Sunday night, crying down the line saying you haven't called him.'

Sora's laughing when she bursts out the door and Mimi joins in, smiling. “So ask me again, why did I let her sign me up to online dating?”

“Because you're a glutton for punishment. But also the fact that you said it's time for you to move on and sitting about your apartment moping wasn't helping any.”

“Ah,” Mimi says, “so partially I am to blame then?”

“Uh-huh,” Sora answers, a muffled voice coming through in the background, which Mimi can just about work out to be Yamato. “Okay, date night calls, will you be okay from here on in?”

Mimi swaps the phone to her other ear. She knows Sora's been looking forward to this night for at least a week now and it really means a lot to her that she was able to provide cover for her own disastrous date of the evening. “Of course,” she answers, “and thank you. I'm heading over to the shop, just a week to go now until the big opening and I still don't feel like it's ready.”

“You know you will be fine, Mimi. Everything will work out. I know it.”

Mimi smiles, “Oh, and once last thing. Are you wearing, the uh, lingerie we picked out last weekend?” She can practically feel Sora's blush all the way through their connection.

“Yamato is calling, _goodbye_ , Mimi.” She hangs up laughing, swapping her phone to her bag and searching for her keys to her new shop and apartment.

The smell hits her when she walks in, a fresh and floral scent that no matter what, she simply can't get enough of. Most of the plants are still in their storage boxes, her big plan for tomorrow is to start designing exactly where she wants her stock to be placed. Her fresh flowers arrive next week, the morning of her opening, a small selection for those people wanting bouquets or small gifts to brighten up either their home or office.

She kind of can't believe it's all happening. That barely a week from now, she'll be opening her own store. It's certainly taken its time, from spending so many years being somebody else's dogsbody, to getting the repairs and work done that was needed for her to open safely.

Her new signage went up this morning, her front window now boldly displaying in curved print that, _Flowers can't solve all problems but they're a great start._

It's a good sentiment, she thinks, a promise of new beginnings. She's unpacking a box of vintage pots when the door bangs open behind her.

“Am I too early, or, uh, late to buy some flowers for a special someone?”

Mimi turns around, confusion written all over her face.

“Taichi?” she says, taking one step forward and then freezing in place.

“I want to say,” he rocks back on his heels, “sorry I took so long and are you willing to give me one last shot, please?”

She knows her mouth is wide open. She knows she's staring off into space.

Taichi clears his throat. “I mean, I can always come back when you're open?”

That swiftly brings Mimi back up to speed. “I don't. What? Carolina?”

Taichi shifts. “Carolina and I split up. There were more problems than just the living arrangements. Mostly, probably, that I wasn't fully in love with her.”

“What?” Mimi shakes her head, still not daring to believe that what she's seeing and hearing is 100% legit.

“Well, I never really got over this girl I used to know. Kinda funny, really bad timing and not only my best friend, but, as it turns out, also the love of my life.” He scratches at the back of his neck. “I went back and I tried to move on, keep going, but all I could think about was what I was missing.”

Mimi takes in a breath. “So, you're back? You're staying?”

Taichi smiles, “I mean, if you'll have me?”

She runs towards him then, practically leaping into his grip as he spins her around and then plants her back down on the floor safely. She makes a show of contemplating before asking him, “Hmm, can I think about it?”

He leans down, hands at the small of her back, fingers circling at the lip of her top, barely grazing her skin. “Nope. One time deal, here and only. You miss the boat, Mimi Tachikawa, and some other lucky girl will snap this specimen of a man up.”

She pulls him in further for a kiss, forgetting the need for any personal space and reeling him in closer towards her. Never wanting to let him go.

“Well then,” she says, the pair of them grinning at each other, “how can I possibly say no?”

 

**Author's Note:**

> So this fic has been a really long time in the making. A. really. Long. Time. And I am so thankful that the big bang gave me the inclination and drive to finally get my ass in gear and properly write it. I think, to date, this is the longest piece of fiction that I've ever managed to finish, as well as actually completing a big bang that I've signed up for. I highly encourage any of you debating whether or not to write that piece that's been hovering on your mind for however long now, to just go ahead and do it. I've really enjoyed this whole process and pushing myself. Thank you to the organisers for making me do so.
> 
> So, you know, this is just me taking a moment to be damn well proud of myself. I finished!
> 
> Also, as an aside, I am so sorry Jou Kido. You are amazing. You were supposed to turn up at the hospital but you never made the cut. Don't worry guys, he was there, spilling things on the floor and telling Taichi he knows better because he is older. Who knows? Maybe one day i'll write an interlude of that section and Jou can make his debut.
> 
> I also want to say an amazing, huge, HUGE, thank you to [zoetekohana](http://zoetekohana.tumblr.com/). She has read the mess this fic was and not only been highly encouraging, but also taken the time to beta like a hardcore beta, last minute and everything, in order to help me shape this fic into something that other people might actually have a hope of understanding. 
> 
> Find me [here](http://ribbonedcuriosa.tumblr.com/) on tumblr.


End file.
